KPJ - 3 1/2 - Power Play
by LemurKat
Summary: An ambitious Pokemon with power sets out to take over the world, can Kat and her friends stop him?


  


## Power Play

  


Part 1

"Well, it's good to see you back in one piece," Doctor Warwick said, with a sly smile. "How did you find things?"   
Kameron grinned in a way that could only mean mischief. "Oh, it was pretty good. Kat even managed to become a queen."   
"Shuddup," I said, kicking him in the foot. We had just put Florion in at a Pokemon Centre and I was feeling highly irritable, mostly out of concern for my green-furred friend. The doctor in the Mankey and Primape temple had done her best, but she had no modern technology and the Eeveelution had been rather badly battered. She had managed to heal him somewhat, but all she had really managed was to keep him alive until we got out. Then we had found Gary and Joseph and rushed all my injured friends off to the nearest Pokecenter. Doctor Warwick had driven the long way over as soon as we had called him. It appeared there was something on his mind. We were talking with him in the waiting room of the Pokecentre.

"I brought something with me for you fellows," he said. "You remember that fossil you recovered?"   
I nodded. "How could I possibly forget?"   
"Well," he said, "we took DNA from the fossil and injected in into some Yanyanma eggs, that's a modern-day Dragonfly Pokemon, and we managed to hatch about a dozen larva, so I thought you might like one. They're pretty weird we creatures, and we have no idea what they actually do, but you've done so well with Maki."   
"Maki."   
"Kiki."   
Both Makimurs were sitting on my shoulders, Maki on the left, the female, which we'd called Kiki (in an amazing burst of originality) on the right. She was fairly shy. I understood that she had been somewhat bored with life in the jungle, and Maki had taken her aside and told her all sorts of things about our adventures, and despite all this, she had chosen to come with us. Having two Makimurs was not actually much more work than having two, Maki had taken a sort of mature attitude and would now stop Kiki from doing all the mischevious things he had done. That did not stop them having lots of fun when they thought I wasn't looking!   
"Let's have a look at this then," I said, taking the Pokeball that Doctor Frances Warwick handed me. "Come on out and say hello!"   
"Nym, nym," said the strange thing that stood before me. It looked more or less like an insect, except that it was nearly a foot long and its wings were short, what we would call vestigal in the scientific world. It had short antennae which it twitched at us.   
"I'll be honoured to look after it," I said, "but what exactly is it?"   
"Well," Doctor Warwick explained, "the archaic Dragonfly used to begin life as a nymph, a larvae, and this I believe is one such thing. It's a nymph, that will one day evolve into a dragonfly."   
I nodded and patted Nym on the head. It curled its antennae in a fashion of enjoyment. "It's cute," I said. "But I'm going to have to go and check on Florion now. Coming Maki, Kiki?" The two Makimurs were wandering around the waiting room and playing with the toys meant for children.   
"Makimaki!" They replied in unison, both taking their usual perches on my shoulders. I recalled Nym and went through to where Florion was being treated. He lay on his side in a large basket, with a blanket thrown over him. Ozmos, whom I'd left with him, sat beside the basket, alternately licking his face and grooming his fur. She looked distraught. She greeted me in a fairly perfunctory manner as Maki and Kiki leapt from my shoulder to see how their friend was doing.   
I crouched down beside Ozmos and stroked her teal fur. She nudged my hand with her cold nose. "You're worried about him, aren't you girl?" I asked.   
"Por," she said in agreement.   
"We're all worried," I replied, giving her a hug.   
"Va por, vaporeon," she replied, and moved away from me to nudge the slumbering Florion. He'd been heavily dosed up on sedatives, his leg had been properly bound, the fall from the tree had fractured it, and all his many bruises and cuts had been touched up with iodine and were covered.   
"Makimur," Maki said worriedly, patting Florion on the head. Florion was awake, but his eyes were glazed and he was about as active as a Slowpoke.   
"How's he doing?" I asked Nurse Joy, who had happened to walk past at that moment.   
She looked him over. "He's going to be fine, but it'll take a while for that leg to heal, I don't want to see him fighting for some time yet!"   
"Oh," I replied, "don't worry about that, I don't fight with my Pokemon very often at all. I'm not really a Trainer."   
She smiled. "For someone who is not a trainer, you certainly have a lot of Pokemon that are very fond of you."   
I smiled back, secretly proud. "Thanks, they're my friends and they protect me, I don't think they would go down very well with the average Trainer. Hardly any of them will ever fight play matches. I study Pokemon behaviour," I said proudly.   
"Oh, a watcher," Joy replied. It was the first time I had ever heard that term used in respect to me. "Well, your Pokemon certainly seem well cared for, except that poor," she paused, "Florion, was it?"   
"He fell out of a tree when a Fearow attacked him," I replied. "Poor wee guy. I hate it when they get hurt, that's why I won't fight with them."   
She smiled happily. "You know, if you hadn't already got your goal in life sorted out, you'd make a good Pokemon nurse."   
"But my names not Joy," I replied, and was rewarded with a puzzled look. "Oh, never mind. Perhaps one day." Little did I know what I would end up doing in life then. "So, when will Florion be able to go home?"   
"I'd like to keep him in another day yet, just to keep an eye on him. If you want somewhere to stay, there's a Pokemon hostel just down the road."   
"Ok," I said. "Um, is it ok if Ozmos stays here? I don't think she wants to leave Florion's side."   
"Vapor," Ozmos nuzzled my leg. She had definitely not wanted to leave and was glad I had realised.   
"Sure," the Nurse replied. "I wouldn't want her getting worried."   
"I'll drop by some pizza for her later," I said. "Otherwise she'll eat you out of house and home!"   
"VaporeON." ("That was unusually cruel".)   
"Don't worry Ozmos, you know I'm just joking."   
"Vapor," she did not sound contended.   
"How about I don't bring pizza then?"   
"PoreON!"   
I smiled. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."   
"Por?"   
"With pizza, don't worry."

After having checked in at the nearest Pokemon hostel, and dropping off a seafood pizza for Vaporeon, Kameron and I found ourselves wandering along the beach. Maki and Kiki were playing in the sand, kicking clouds of it at each other, whilst Razor dived through the waves, tormenting poor, innocent Goldeens. Snuggles and Cubone were building sandcastles. It was pretty idelic and I was feeling quite good. Florion was doing nicely, he'd even eaten some of the pizza (the grass Eeveelution would eat seafood if it made Ozmos happy), and licked my hand. Everything was right with the world.   
"Something big is happening," Kameron informed me.   
"What?" I asked, disturbed at the sudden revelation.   
"You know Team Rocket," he continued, as if I didn't, "they've got something planned. Doctor Warwick said there's been Team Rocket agents found up in the Arctic, and in certain other wild, unusual parts of the world, as if they're looking for something."   
"Aren't they always?" I asked.   
He shrugged. "All I know is that they've been seen in all of the places where the five birds of power are usually found. The Doctor thinks they're trying to capture them."   
"Five, I thought there were only three?"   
"You're forgetting Lugia, the moon bird and Honou, the rainbow bird," he reminded me, "they were only discovered recently."   
"So the Doctor thinks that Team Rocket are trying to capture these powerful birds to what, take over the world?"   
"To gain all the power they need." He said. "To rule the world."   
"But why, I mean, Team Rocket's scheming has never gone that high before, has it?"   
He shrugged. "I don't know."   
Suddenly I remembered something. "Freyja said something about a new boss!" I reminded him, "maybe that's it!"   
He agreed with me. "And this new boss wants to rule the world!"   
"Figures…"

"Makimakimaki!" Maki came running over excitedly, Kiki hurrying after him.   
She started jumping up and down too. "Kiki ki makiki!"   
"Ok guys, what have you found?" It was then that I noticed the slight smell of ozone in the air. It smelt like a thunderstorm was on the horizon. The sky was clear and blue, changing slowly to a pinkish hue as the sun began to set. It did not look as though it were about to rain. Kameron and I hurried after the two makimurs.   
"Maki!" Maki was pointing at something.   
"Makiki!" Kiki sounded even more excited.   
We peered over the sand dunes to see a golden bird crouching in the sand, staring at us with a wild look in its eyes. It looked terrified. It also looked amazingly like a…   
"A Zapdos, we've found a Zapdos!" Kameron shrieked excitedly.   
"Its so small, are you sure it's a Zapdos? And what would a Zapdos be doing here?"   
Kameron however was not listening to my ponderings. "Go Cubone," he shouted, "we have to catch this!"   
Cubone, who was still further down the beach, jumped to his feet and ran over, Snuggles bounding after him. "Cu bone bone."   
I smiled. "For once you're right Kam, we have to catch it."   
Kameron was momentarily distracted. "You actually _want_ me to catch a Pokemon?" He was well used to my "leave it alone unless you have to" way of catching Pokemon.   
I nodded. "If Team Rocket are after the birds of power, this will slow them down, they'll have to get it off us first!"   
"Cubone, Boomerang!" Kameron shouted and Cubone flung out his bone.   
It sliced through the air and straight through the bird, which had suddenly become pure lightning. It shot through the air in a golden flash and knocked Cubone out instantly!   
This was going to be much harder than anticipated. "Dancer, sleeping powder attack!" Kameron cried, releasing his butterfree and racing to the side of his Cubone.   
"Bone," it said weakly.   
"Don't worry, we'll get you to a Pokecentre very soon," he replied, recalling the poor ground Pokemon.   
"Freeeee!" Dancer fanned its wings, blowing toxic dust at the bird, which looked as though it were about to try its thunder streak again. Dancer was faster and more experienced though, it appeared, and the electric bird flopped to the earth, soundly asleep.   
"Go Pokeball!" Kameron shouted joyously, claiming the bird as his own. "I caught a Zapdos!" He shouted, rolling the ball down his arm and flicking it into the air with his hand.   
"Um, Kam, I hate to break this to you, but I don't think it's a Zapdos," I ventured cautiously.   
"If it looks like a chicken, squawks like a chicken, then it's a chicken." He said. "This looks like a Zapdos, fights like a Zapdos, so it must be a Zapdos."   
I sighed. "Do you really think a Zapdos would be beaten by a measly Butterfree? Nah, I met a girl called Amelia who had a Pokemon she called a Phoenix – it was a juvenile Moltres, I think what we have here is a juvenile Zapdos."   
"What, like an Elechick?" He said, laughing at his own pun.   
I groaned. "That's absolutely terrible," I informed him. That was probably why the name stuck.   
He looked a little downtrodden, "so I'm not stopping Team Rocket by catching this then?" He asked.   
"Perhaps there's also a juvenile Articuno, a juvenile Lugia and a juvenile Honou," I replied. "Maybe that's what they're after."   
"Yeah," he said, sounding more excited. "Even Team Rocket wouldn't have a hope in Hades of catching a real grown Moltres, or Lugia, that's what they must be after!"   
"So lets get them all first, I still have Amelia's phone number!"

"Um, hi Kat," Amelia greeted me, upon hearing who it was. "Whatcha been up to?"   
I must confess, I had written to Amelia maybe three times in the past three years, and visited her twice when on more visits to my wretched Aunt. I told her briefly about my explorations in the Pokemon jungle. We had a relatively mundane conversation for a while, and then I brought up the appropriate topic.   
"So how is your Phoenix?"   
"Phoenix? What Phoenix?"   
"The little firebird you had, the juvenile Moltres, how could you forget?"   
"I never had a phoenix," she replied in deadpan. "What's a Phoenix."   
It was then I knew I was too late, Team Rocket had got there before me and somehow made her forget. Made her forget the same way I had forgotten about the location of the house at Lake Eerie, try as hard as I could, I still had no recollection of where that place was.   
I told her what I suspected about Team Rocket and how they were after the five juvenile birds of power, but Amelia's face on the phone screen looked blank and eventually I gave up.   
"I think you must have picked up some sort of insanity bug in the jungle," she replied. "Perhaps you should see a doctor."   
Soon after that we made our farewells, promised to write to each other (yeah, right) and hung up the phone.   
It took me a while to find Kameron, because he'd gone down to the beach again and was attempting to train his Elechick. It hadn't escaped yet, which was a good thing, but it did not seem to be listening to him particularly well.   
"Well?" He asked, as I came down the path. My expression said it all. "It's not good news is it?"   
"It's gone and she can't even remember ever owning it," I said glumly. "Looks like Team Rocket are one step ahead of us already."   
"Well, they're going to have to come and get this fellow sometime," he said, recalling Elechick. "If they want the complete set."   
"Yeah, I spose. I'm dead tired, let's get some sleep and in the morning I'll hit the library."   
"Oh man, do I have to spend all day holed up in a library looking at ancient books," Kameron moaned.   
I shrugged. "Only if you want my company."   
"Good," he replied, "cos this is the first time I've been to the beach in months and Cubone and I were going to do some surfing."   
"Cubone surfs?" (Note: Cubone had been taken to the Pokemon Centre when I went to make the phonecall, but Kameron had bet me back).   
"Like a demon!"

My dreams that night were disturbed, to say the least. I dreamed that the world was being onslaughtered by a giant bird of fire, that was flying across the countryside igniting all in its wake, and then another huge bird soared over, electricity crackling from its wingtips and an enormous thunderstorm left the singed remains in rubble. And I was crouching beneath the remains of my house, screaming because the end was near.   
I awoke sweating profusely and all but crying.

By noon the next day, I had found out precious little about the juvenile birds of power. Yes, they were known of, but generally only mentioned as myths, since it appeared that nobody had ever caught one, despite the current evidence to the contrary. One thing however we found in all the documentation – if any of the juvenile birds of power evolved, the adult bird, which was "unique" (there could be only one, basically), would be destroyed. This boded very poorly indeed.   
After a while, hunger gnawing at my belly and boredom pawing at my brain, I decided to take a break and wander down to the beach, perhaps grabbing a hot dog on the way. I wanted to see a Cubone surf, for one thing. Besides, it would probably do my Pokemon good for a bit of exercise. The two Makimurs had decided against going to the library with me (I give you three guesses why!) and had gone to the beach with Kameron and I wanted to make sure they were ok too.   
The beach was nearly empty when I got there, despite the hot weather. It was a weekday, probably everybody was shut up in their stuffy offices. Maki and Kiki greeted me enthusiastically and showed me a sculpture they seemed to have made from beach debris, it looked a little like a stick house threaded with seaweed, shells, litter and some bones. It appeared Makimurs were not picky.   
"Do you guys want some lunch?" I asked, managing to see the shape of Kameron and Cubone playing in the water (how could a Cubone swim for goodness sake? It was ground type!). They both had surf boards, Cubone had a kid's toy one though.   
"Makiki," they agreed, nodding, so we found our way to one of the beach front kiosk, where a bored, skinny lad was reading a comic. It had a Pikachu and a picture of my Cousin Ash on the cover.   
"I'll have four pottles of chips and 2 large sodas," I told him, "with three straws." Maki tugged at my ear.   
"Ki?"   
"Oh, and extra ketchup." I glanced at Maki, "Ash's Pikachu got you on to a bad thing didn't he?"   
"Mak," he said with a shrug as I handed over the money and struggled to carry my purchases. I'd brought too much as usual, luckily the lad helped me by tipping all the chips into a big brown paper bag, which Maki carried for me.   
When we arrived back on the beach, Kameron had come ashore, water sparkling off his somewhat reddened torso (he wasn't wearing his trenchcoat today!). Cubone was juggling his bone and drenched from head to toe.   
"Hey, you got food," was my warm greeting, "I'm famished, how bout you, Cubone?"   
"Bone," Cubone agreed.   
And so we all sat down in the baking sun (Kameron getting redder by the second, the fool!) and enjoyed our deep fried food and watered down sodas. Maki ate an entire sachet of ketchup without a single chip and got scolded by Kiki. We were just about to throw out the rubbish, when suddenly a Meowth came running towards us, _on its hind legs_ and collapsed in the sand in front of us.   
"Youse gotta help us," it said, surprising both of us.   
"Who, what?" I asked.   
"Me friends, they've been caught an' they're gonna be killed." Suddenly it noticed Kameron. "Hey, I know youse, youse those kids we ran into up at Sereniti when we tried to grab that Pikachu. Whatcha doin' here?"   
"Enjoying the sunshine," I replied. "So those two Team Rocket friends of yours are going to get killed, what were their names again? Sounded like some outlaws or something?"   
"Jessie and James," he replied. "Hey, dis is in your best interests too, kid, youse was with Team Rocket and he'll be after you next." This last statement was aimed at Kameron.   
"We'll help you on one accord," I said, "on the account that you tell us what in hades is going on!"   
Meowth shrunk back. "If youse helps me, we'll help youse, that sounds good to me."   
"Then lets go," Kameron said excitedly.   
"Oh for goodness sake, it could be a trap!" I shrieked at him. "Have you ever thought that?"   
Meowth looked downtrodden. He grabbed my leg, tears streaming in that typical cartoonish fashion. "Youse gotta help me, they're me best friends and he's gonna kill 'em. I'll do anything, anything, if youse help them!"   
"That enough persuasion for you?" Kameron asked.   
I was convinced, but I didn't like to admit it. "Okay, let's go. How did you get out anyway?" I asked Meowth.   
"Oh, dat, well you sees, I managed to squeeze me way through da bars, check out da scars I got dough." He pointed to patches of his fur where the skin was scratched and bruised. "I had to get help me friends."   
And with that we were off.

Meowth led us to an old warehouse. It appeared to be in a state two steps off complete tumbledownedness. We clambered over the fence with relative ease and Meowth squeezed through it, leading us to a small window about four inches form the ground and a foot by two feet in size. It must have taken a lot of dedication and a fair amount of pushing and shoving for Meowth to get through those. I didn't doubt he had however when I looked inside and saw this Jessie and James that were his friends. They were sitting together against the back wall, holding each other in acute fear. It was not something you could feign.   
"Da new boss had da old boss's brain scrambled so he can't think no more," Meowth informed us, shuddering, "I really don't like dis new boss. He wants ter scramble Jessie and James's brains, not that there's that much to scramble," he added as if by afterthought.   
"Hey, I resent that remark," came a voice from within the cell, followed by a slapping sound,   
"Shuddup fool, do you want the new boss to remember we're here?" Came a female voice.   
"Meowth," James called, moving across to the tiny window. "You came back to help us, I knew you would!" Tears of joy streamed down his face. Jessie grabbed him by the shoulder.   
"Thank the kitty when we get out of here!" She said, somewhat viciously.   
I looked at my Pokemon and I looked at the wall, then I glanced at Kameron.   
"Have you ever wished that you had a massive rock Pokemon?" I asked him.   
"Youse mean you can't do nothing?" Meowth snarled, a sentiment echoed by the sobbing coming from inside.   
"Of course we can," Kameron snapped, "its just gonna be a little more difficult, is all."   
I looked at Kameron. "Fire or electricity?" I asked.   
"Fire," he replied, "definitely fire."   
"Ok, this could be a bit uncomfortable for you guys inside, but it's the only way we can do things."   
"Flareon, flamestrike attack at that wall. As hot as you can!"   
The flames hit the wall with huge force, so hot that the people within whimpered and Mewoth jumped back in alarm. You could almost hear the bricks creaking under the force.   
"Now, Marrill, Vaporeon, Seadra, pump your coldest water at that wall, right in the charred spot."   
Three bursts of very cold water hit the wall (Razor however didn't look too happy about being on dry land, but I needed all three of them because none knew ice spells, although after today I decided I should teach Vaporeon some). It steamed and evaporated before it hit at first but it cooled down the overly stressed bricks again.   
"Now, flame strike again, Flareon," Kameron suggested.   
We repeated this process twice more before the Pokemon ran out of so much energy that they could not keep it up. By this point, however, the bricks were starting to crumble under the sheer onslaught.   
"Ok Shrubslash, clear this mess up," Kameron called his odd grass Pokemon.   
"Slash, slash," a combination of Shrubslash's vine whips and sharp talons quickly cleared a hole in the wall large enough for someone to scramble through. Unfortunately, we'd already made a lot of noise and alarms starting buzzing down below.   
"Come on out youse guys," Meowth shouted as Kameron and I recalled our Pokemon and clambered back over the fence (luckily the electricity had not been turned on).   
And then we ran, the serenade of shrieking sirens slowly disspiating behind us. Noone chased us, and it was only much later that we realised why.

Half an hour later found us sitting at the beach again.   
"Thanks so much," James said, gratitude fair seeping from his voice.   
"Yeah, thanks," Jessie added, sounding somewhat less convinced.   
"So why are were you locked up in there anyway?" Kameron, not one to mess with words, asked.   
"Oh, just Team Rocket problems," Jessie replied, trying to brush it aside.   
"I think we should tell them," James elbowed her. "They might be able to help us."   
"Why would we want to tell them anything?"   
"I'm not loyal to the new boss, are you?"   
Meowth rolled his eyes whilst the two of them squabbled. They had been somewhat battered in the onslaught of our Pokemon versus brick wall, but seemed otherwise fine. "Dey're always like dis," he said tiredly. "I can't imagine why."   
Suddenly James turned his green gaze onto me. "You want to know why we were locked up? Cos we have never succesfully stolen _anything_ and the new boss isn't as lenient as the old one."   
"He had his brains scrambled," Jessie butted in. "The old boss had his brains scrambled. Whatever Pokemon this new boss has, they must be strong."   
"Have you seen this new boss?" I asked.   
In unison, the two Rockets shook their heads.   
"And you better watch out kid," Jessie added, "he'll be after you too, you better believe that. This new boss, he don't take failure lightly. Nor will he take someone running off and abandoning Team Rocket."   
Kameron looked momentarily pale. "So you don't know what his plans are then?" He asked, trying to hide his fear beneath false bravado.   
"Oh them," James sounded mildly brighter. "He's after the birds of power. I think," he lowered his voice to a conspiratual whisper, "he wants to hold the world to ransom."   
"What?"   
"What???" Jessie sounded surprised, no, more shocked. "You can't tell them Team Rocket's secrets."   
"Watch me," James said slyly. "They're on our side now."   
"Yeah," Meowth agreed. "We can't go back ter normal life less we get rid of dis imposter. So we have ter help 'em."   
"Do you trust them?" I whispered to Kameron.   
"As much as I'd trust an Ekans," he replied cheerfully, "so I won't tell them about the juvenile birds, and neither will you, yes?"   
I nodded and turned to face the Rockets. "So, how do we stop them?"   
"The new boss, he's unstoppable," Jessie stuttered, sounding genuinely scared. "You didn't see Giovanni. They threw him in the cell after the new boss had scrambled his brains, and he just sat there twitching his eyes filled with nothing, like dead man's eyes!" She started shaking and James grabbed her and tried to comfort her. He was fair shaking himself. Whatever this new boss had done, it was terrifying.   
"What do you know that can do that?" I asked.   
"Only a very strong psychic Pokemon or a special machine," Meowth replied, sitting in front of his friends. "An' I ain't never heard of a Pokèmon that strong, not even Mewtwo. Unless…" he paused, "unless it's Mew."   
"The new boss has a Mew, no…" Jessie and James started quaking in fear.   
Kameron sighed. "I see we have the crème of the Team Rocket on our side. How can we possibly fail?"   
"Makikiki mur!" ("How can we not?")

The first problem we had to face was that Team Rocket had no Pokemon. Aside from Meowth, that is, and I understood he was not up to fighting. So that gave us a problem, since we were sure as hades not going to give them any of our Pokemon. This new boss had not wanted them to get out, that was certain. But then, why had they not chased us? Perhaps they had not seen us, that was likely the case. The problem still remained, we had to get them some sort of Pokemon or they would be even more useless then they were likely to be.   
"Oh, can't I have that little furry one?" Jessie asked, pointing at Maki. "I think it would make a nice scarf."   
"MaKI!" Maki spat at her.   
"Don't be so rude Maki, we have to catch her _something_."

A few hours later and the sun was beginning to set, we had managed to capture a grand total of two Pokemon, a Magikarp and a Spearow, nothing very impressive. Just as we were leaving, something stirred in the water, it was large and white.   
"It's a Dewgong," James shouted, "quick, catch it!"   
I sighed, my Pokemon were fine, Maki had managed to catch the Spearow all by himself (he'd stunned it out of the sky) and Vaporeon had caught the Magikarp, as easily as one would sneeze. This, however, could be a challenge, I drew out Razor's ball. The exercise would do him good. "Go Razor!"   
"Draaa!"   
"Gong gong!" The Dewgong tried to swim away, but Razor intercepted it with a stream of bubbles.   
Dewgong charged into them, popping them with its horn. "Dew gong gong," a beam of icy white light shot from its horn.   
"Dodge, Razor!" I shrieked, but it was too late, the icy beam caught Razor and sent him sprawling from the water, almost unconscious. "Return."   
"Electric's good against water and ice," Kameron shouted. "Go Elechick!"   
"Qweeee!" The electric bird squawked, it was not a name, merely a noise. The juvenile Zapdos flapped into the air.   
"Thunder shock that Dewgong!" Kameron shouted, and amazingly the bird listened. The end was inevitable, a moment later the waves washed the Dewgong ashore and Kameron caught it, tossing the Pokeball to Jessie. Elechick flapped down to land in front of him. "Good show, boy," he said, scratching the bird's electric head. Elechick moved from foot to foot happily.   
"Kuwee," it squawked. It was then I realised that Jessie and James were gaping at us.   
"That's that's a Zapdos," James eventually muttered and I suddenly realised that in the excitement we had revealed our secret Pokemon.   
"No it's not," I replied quickly as Kameron recalled it. "It just looks like one, its only a baby."   
"The boss, the new boss'll be after you guys too."   
We explained about the juvenile Birds of Power, it seemed the best idea. I even told them that I thought the boss already had the juvenile Moltres.   
"But how do you evolve birds of power?" James asked, somewhat nervously after all was revealed.   
"With really powerful stones," Jessie replied.   
If this were the cartoon, we all would have fainted at that…

Dawn found us awakening early and wondering why we had evaded capture during the night. Did the Team Rocket lot really not notice their captives had escaped, or did they just not care? I couldn't answer that.   
We had all gathered in my room and were sitting around a map of the world.   
"If there is a young Articuno, I imagine it will be found here," I said, pointing at the north pole. "That's where you see the aurora borealis isn't it?"   
"Yeah," Kameron replied.   
"Hey," said James who was poring over a newspaper, "there's just been a volcano eruption in Mexico, perhaps we can get the Moltres?"   
"You fool," Jessie snatched the newspaper from him. "They've already got that one."   
"Well, I guess I'll just try and catch a bus or train up north as far as I can go," I replied. "Are you guys with me?"   
"This is ridiculous," Kameron said with a sigh, "how are we supposed to traipse around the entire _world_ just to catch some Pokemon before some nameless lunatic does? We have no money, and hardly any skills."   
"Well, actually, about the money thing," James muttered.   
"The kid's rich," Meowth said happily. "He reconciled with his folks and dey gave him his inheritance in advance like."   
"I'll buy us plane tickets," he said with a sigh, "unless you'd prefer to travel by air balloon."   
I glanced at Kameron and we both shared a shiver. "Aeroplane it is," we said in unison.

Part 2

The arctic wasteland spread out if front of us, like a frozen sea. It was bitterly cold and I was thankful for the woollen jersey my Aunt Maureen had made for me (I'd carried it all this time and never once worn it) and my Maki scarf. Kameron had stolen Kiki from me to keep his neck warm. We, or should I say James, had hired a car and we had driven as far north as we could, to the place where someone, the storekeeper of a fishing and hunting store, to be precise, had recommended we go to see the Aurora Borealis. We were not the first ones there. A small group of three people, two of them middle aged and plump, the other a scrawny young lady who looked like she needed a good meal, were sitting in a clapped out four wheel drive near us. The young lady looked bored and had fallen asleep leaning on the window. The sky was not dark, but it was not exactly light either. I understood that it never actually grew dark at the north pole until winter, but it was now somewhat into autumn (despite the barmy weather down south) and the sky was that deep violet blue that occurs when night is on the horizon. Somewhere far away I heard a coyote howl, this counted as one of that far corners of the world where the real animals must have retreated to. It was so lonely and spine-chilling that it sent a shiver down my spine. It awoke the lady in the car next to us too.   
And suddenly it appeared, as if summoned, the dancing lights on the horizon. So many explainations had been given over the years for the Aurora Borealis, but we knew what it was now, it was the Articuno, dancing the dance of winter.   
Kameron and I sat on the bonnet, shivering somewhat but watching it intently. How were we to see the juvenile Articuno, let alone capture it, even if it were here?   
Suddenly I heard a flute playing and saw that one of the middle aged people in the jeep had got out and was playing it. The aurora seemed to hang in the air for a moment and then we saw it loping towards us. It was a bird, a small, bluish bird with white underbelly that left twinkling lights like stars in its wake, hanging in the frozen air.   
The young lady drew a Pokeball from her trenchcoat pocket and from it came a Charizard.   
We all froze (not literally of course). They were trying to capture it, they must be with Team Rocket, and we had sat them and watched them for the last three quarters of an hour and not done a thing! I removed Ozmos's Pokeball from my belt.   
The young lady pointed to the ice bird and shouted something. A burst of fire shot at the bird, which evaded it easily.   
"Go Ozmos!" I shrieked, releasing the Vaporeon. "Mist attack!"   
She exhaled thick cloud that clustered around the Charizard's face, hopefully blinding it. It did not stop flaming however, and the next burst, more by accident then intent, caught the bird, which squawked (using the same "Kweeek," call that Elechick had used) and flopped earthward.   
"Hydropump," I shrieked as Kameron summoned Marril and Jessie Dewgong.   
The Charizard was blinded already and was quickly brought down by the three Pokemon. The young lady glared at me.   
"I caught that bird fair and square!" She shrieked, "how dare you defy me! Go Vileplume!"   
"Plume!" The Vileplume tried raining spore down on us, but the air was too cold and they were easily washed away by Vaporeon and Marril's waterguns.   
"Razor leaf attack that Vaporeon!" The young lady shouted.   
Vaporeon had eaten too much and was too fat and slow, she tried to evade it, but one of the razor edged leaves sliced across her side in a gout of blood that quickly stopped in the cold. I recalled her. Marril took one look at the Vileplume and jumped into Kameron's pocket.   
"Aurora Beam!" Jessie shrieked, almost falling over James in an effort to see the battle properly.   
"Go Golbat," the young lady shouted, "and you too Dragonaire."   
At the sight of these highly skilled and dangerous Pokemon, Kameron pulled out the lethal weapon, despite what should have been his better sense.   
"Elechick!" He cried, releasing the juvenile Zapdos. "Do that neat thunderbolt attack on all of them!"   
Elechick transformed into a thunderbolt and arced from Vileplume to Dragonaire and finally to Golbat. It was so fast that they could do nothing to stop it except watch on in horror. The young lady quickly recalled her stunned Pokemon and the vehicle drove off in a screech of tyres.   
I immediately ran off to the place I had seen the bird fall. It still lay there in the snow, its feathers singed. I patted it on the head. "You'll be all right, wee fellow," I said gently, "we'll get help for you, will you let me catch you?"   
The bird staggered to its feet and looked at me with its head on one side. "Kwee?" It asked.   
"Makiki mur mur kimur makimur!" Maki explained. I didn't understand what he said, but it must have been convincing because the bird nodded.   
"Kweet!" It said happily and I brought out a Pokeball. It was just lucky I had a lot of them. I had taken a few spares into the jungle in case I found anything that needed catching, but hadn't found a thing, so now I had the empty ones ready.   
I put the ball tenderly on my belt. I now had six Pokeballs hanging there, which was more than the normal trainer carried around, and I was not even a Trainer! When I got back I found Kameron fussing over his Elechick. It seemed to rather like the attention, I think it kind of enjoyed being captured actually.   
"I caught it!" I said gleefully, and Kameron gave me the thumbs up sign.   
"Are you ready to go home yet?" James asked, leaning out the window. "Only, its bloody freezing here."   
"Yeah, let's go home." 

Kameron had fallen asleep against the window and his teeth chattered every time the car went over one of the many bumps in the road. Meowth, who had been seated behind us was curled up in a ball and I think he too was in slumber land. It had been a long journey and it would be a longer journey home because we had to drive further to get to the airport this time – the other one had been all booked out. Maki and Kiki, bored with the long car journey, had given up tormenting Meowth and Maki had found a Gameboy from somewhere. He was playing the Pokemon game, the gold and silver version. I think he was looking for himself in it.   
"So what's the deal with you and the ex-Rocket kid?" James asked, leaning over the wheel as though it were his connection with the road.   
"We're best friends," I replied. "He helped me out some time ago when I fought a battle to win a male Nidoran and we've pretty much been together ever since."   
James chuckled. "No you haven't, he was with us in the Sereniti Headquaters, remember? Spent most of his time locked in his room cursing and swearing at us to let him out. Wasn't a lot of fun, I tell you. I guess you two made up then."   
For some obscure reason, perhaps boredom, I wanted to talk, so I told James about the shooting of the Nidoran. He nodded understandingly.   
"So, do you want to leave these sleeping beauties and go get something to eat?" He asked. "I've been driving forever and we must be nearly somewhere."   
I shrugged, James was nice enough in his own, vaguely dim way. And yes, despite the fact that he was about five or six years older than me, he was rather cute. "Yeah, why not, if the lack of movement doesn't wake them that is."   
We pulled up outside a diner and instantly Maki and Kiki perked up. "Come on you guys, we getting food," I whispered to them. They jumped on my shoulders, one on each. They both tried for the same shoulder and there was almost a nasty accident.   
Jessie murmured and moved a bit against the window, but didn't stir. She would have a terribly sore neck when she awoke, that was why I hated sleeping in cars.   
The diner was small and seemed to be called "Sammy's Truck Stop." A most unimaginative and drab name to match a drab and unimaginative buidling. We went in and ordered burgers and fries, with a bowl for the Makimurs. Maki grabbed an armload of ketchup sachets and smeared the fries in so much sauce that they appeared to be drowning. He and Kiki would need a bath after eating the bowl, they had sauce in their fur, their whiskers and all over their ears. I sighed, thinking I would have to break him of his ketchup addiction sooner of later and once again cursing Pikachu for introducing him to the tomato syrup.   
"It's nice to find someone who doesn't bully me all the time," James said with a sigh, taking a bite of his burger and wiping the sauce from his chin (where it had dribbled out). "I mean, Jessie's my best friend and I care for her a lot, but sometimes she can just be so…"   
"Bitchy?" I interjected. "I'd noticed she puts down everything you say. It probably means she likes you. Look at Ash and Misty."   
James chuckled at that one. "Nah, not Jess, she's too much of an independent woman to like anyone in that way."   
"What's the deal with you guys and Pikachu anyway?" I asked. "I've watched all of Ash's adventures on tv and you lost every single time. Why did you just not give up? Your Pokemon were never any match for his."   
"Or for yours," he replied, wryly, "and now they'd be no match for anyones, even a beginner trainer. Persistance I guess, foolhardy but true, we just wanted to win. Just once."   
"Trust me," I said, "half the time I was rooting for you. Ash deserves being put in his place sometimes, and I only say that because he's my cousin."   
"Really? Ash Ketchum is your cousin?"   
I felt somewhat uncomfortable under his over-bearing green gaze. "Second cousin actually," I said, fidgetting. "My father was his cousin. But Ash was the reason I decided to become a Pokemon Trainer."   
"You've said yourself, you're not really a trainer," James pointed out, proving that he did have something in the way of intelligence.   
I shrugged. "I can't stand to see them hurt and I don't see the point in fighting. I mean, if anyone attacked us and tried to steal them, then I would fight with them, but otherwise… it just seems kind of cruel. Besides, mine don't like to fight."   
"They seemed fine earlier, against the Charizard."   
"Oh, that's different, that's _ important_. We couldn't let Team Rocket, no offence intended, get hold of the juvenile Articuno, so my Pokemon would stop them. They'll help catch Pokemon too, but they just aren't too keen on fighting without a purpose."   
"At least your Pokemon seem to like you, one of mine used to attack us about as much as it used to attack the enemy."   
"Kiki?" Maki asked, offering James a sodden fry. It sagged forlornly and dribbled ketchup onto the tablecloth.   
With a grimace, James took the soggy fry and ate it. Maki looked pleased. I was pleased too, it appeared Maki had accepted James and James had accepted Maki.   
"Makimur," Maki said happily and stood on tiptoe to lick some of my coca cola.   
James produced a rose from thin air, the same way he and Jessie work in the series, producing everything from nothing, a neat trick I should learn myself. He proffered it to me with a flourish. "For you, lady, now let's see if the sleeping beauties have decided to wake up yet."   
We finished our burgers and grabbed a couple of bags of crisps (I'm using American terms because it'll be mostly Americans reading this) for the other three. I was still blushing somewhat. I had to confess, I was somewhat attracted to James, even if he was a Rocket. Hades, so was Kameron and he was my best friend. I was starting to feel like I was in the minority.   
Meowth was awake when we returned to the car and he gratefully accepted the bag of crisps, although he informed us that we would have preferred a prime stake. And then we were on the road again, me leaning against the window day-dreaming about blue haired older men and Kameron snoring on the window, still. Onwards we drove.

Finally we were back in the town near the beach and the Pokemon jungle, the place we had found Elechick. Jessie and Kameron were pacing.   
"We've got the birds," I said, "now all we have to do is keep this new Boss from getting them."   
"Easier said then done," Jessie replied sceptically. "This new boss is a lot trickier then the old one."   
"Yer'll telling me, he scrambled da old boss's brain an' we don't have any idea how."   
"Powerful technology or powerful Pokemon," I said. "Either way, we're in deep trouble if he finds us."   
We sat around poring over some books I had hired from the library and trying to make head or tail from what we knew. The new boss, whomever he might be, wanted the Birds of Power, and to obtain them, he would have to go to Lake Eerie, to evolve the juveniles with the evolution stones. The problem was, as far as we knew, there was no time limit, which meant that we could hide away forever, or we could face Team Rocket. If we were going to face Team Rocket, now would be the only time that was possible, before this new boss got more control and more power.   
"We have to evolve them," Kameron said. "There are, what, three birds of power?" (he was wrong here, but none of us remembered, alas), "and we have two, whilst he has only one, I think if we evolve them, then we can't lose."   
"I bet we can," Jessie added cynically, "we always lose."   
"But this time we're one of the good guys," James pointed out.   
"I suppose so…" but Jessie did not sound convinced.   
"I'll book a flight to Lake Eerie tomorrow," Kameron said excitedly. "What's your Visa number James?"   
James sighed. "Do I have to pay for it all again?" he said. "My inheritance isn't infinite you know."   
"This is important," I said, smiling sweetly.   
He shrugged. "Yeah, I know."

A few hours later and I was feeling claustrophobic. We'd been discussing plans and strategies. I glanced at Maki and Kiki, they had curled up together, a silver, blue, black and white bundle of fur. "I want to go for a walk, any objections?"   
The others shrugged. "Just take care," Kameron added.   
"With the juvenile Articuno, whom I think I'll call Auroris, how can anything hurt me?"   
He chuckled. "If its anything like Elechick, it'll be all but invincible."   
Not wishing to disturb my Makimur friends, I stole outside and into the cool night air. It had been some time since we had returned from the arctic circle (a couple of days) and already the air was nippy down south, here in the warm regions. The stars above were all but hidden by cloud. At least the air here was fresh, and tinted with the smell of salt and fish. I meandered down to the beach, which many would have considered dangerous for a fourteen year old (I'd had my birthday somewhere along the way), but not a fourteen year old Pokemon Trainer with some pretty strong Pokemon…   
I paused to watch the waves lap against the shore, sweeping debris and white foam onto the gloden sands. It was beautiful, serene, if a little nippy. Somewhere far out I fancied I could see a spume of water from a Dolfin, but I could not make out their shapes.   
Suddenly I was aware there was someone behind me. I whirled and found myself staring into shining blue eyes. Loki grinned at me.   
"Miss me?" He asked impishly. "Go Fearow, go Maximur!"   
"Rowwwww!"   
"Murr!"   
I was knocked over by a gust of wind as the Fearow flew into the air right before me. Sand clogged up my nose and ears, making my eyes water. I fumbled for my belt with one hand and grabbed the first Pokeball I could reach.   
"Burururu!"   
Oh bugger…   
Amazingly, Snuggles leapt at the Maximur, probably spurred on by the sheer desperation of the occurance. He bounced backwards, landing in the water with a splash. I'd hardly even seen the Maximur move, so I didn't know if it had knocked him aside or set up an invisible wall.   
"Maximur, paralysis!" Loki shouted.   
"XiMUR!" Shrieked the Maximur and suddenly I could not move, every muscle was frozen. I could not even recall my Snuggles. Loki recalled the Maximur and Fearow and picked me up as easily as if I were no heavier than a Butterfree. I still couldn't move, although I really wanted to. And then I was carried away and thrown in the back of a van.   
"Oh, the new boss will love meeting you," Loki grinned evilly.

Part 3

The cell was plainly a sturdier one than that which Jessie and James had been locked up in. It was small, little more than a cubicle, with no window, except for a tiny one in the door. I was starting to wonder if, perhaps, in his twisted mind, the new boss had wanted Jessie and James to escape. I just didn't understand why.   
"Hey!" The window on the door was drawn aside and a blue eye appeared at it. "The boss wants to see you now."   
I shuddered. Did he wasn't to scramble my brains? I'd been in terror from the moment I got there. They'd taken my Pokemon, it was just my relief that at least one of them, Snuggles, had managed to escape, although who knew how he would fare? Hopefully Kameron or the Rockets would find him. Now the boss had Auroris, it was two to one, and I knew my companions would not go to Lake Eerie without me.   
The door opened and Loki and Maximur came in, grabbing me by an arm each. Maximur was extremely strong for its size, and it gripped my arm tightly, turning the flesh white. They dragged me down a hallway and into a room.

There was a man sitting behind the desk, not an especially large man. He had his back to us and was sitting in a high backed chair so that all I could see was a red cap, which for some reason had been adorned with long rabbit-like ears.   
"Ah, so you bring the little Trainer to meet us," he said, in a deep rumble of a voice that did not sound quite human. "I'm sure she will be most useful, won't she, Loki my friend?"   
The chair spun around and the boss of Team Rocket stared at me from narrowed eyes set in an almost goat-like face. The ears were not adornments. He waved one of his spoons at me.   
It was not human, it was a Pokemon.   
An Alakazam.

"So we meet again," Alakazam said, resting his huge head on his spoon. "I must say, you and your little friend were of immense annoyance to me, although I suppose I should thank you. When you dropped my Pokeball out the window, I could escape and finally be free. In fact, I think that it was the cold that made me the man I am today…" he chuckled. I saw that his lips did not move as he talked, the voice was just there, hanging in the air and zipping into my ears.   
I could just stand there and stare at him mutely.   
"Oh, you can talk, little Kat," he said. "I wouldn't hurt you. Not any more than you deserved anyway. I thought to myself, what way can I achieve all my goals? What way can I finally get what I deserve? And then it occurred to me. I could claim Team Rocket, collect the strongest Pokemon in the world and…" he paused, staring at me with the eyes of the extremely intelligent but somewhat insane, "hold the world to ransom."   
I gasped a little at that. Jessie had used the same words.   
"You see, if I say to the world leaders, that volcano there is just, you know, ripe and ready to explode, and well, I think the only thing that will stop it will be if you give over your presidency to me, then they will have to. Or my Moltres will turn their country into a flaming wasteland.   
"Or, perhaps I might like to flood some of their low lying cities with my Honou? They wouldn't like that would they?"   
It was then I remembered. Doctor Warwick had said five birds, five birds of power and now Alakazam had at least three of them. We had been outnumbered all along. I was unable to speak, I was that frightened,   
Alakazam walked over to stand beside me. He tucked one of his spoons into his belt, which I now saw held four Pokeballs. Reaching out with one three fingered hand he stroked my cheek. His skin was rough, almost like a cat's tongue.   
"Such a pretty young thing," he said, grinning wickedly. "I fell so _guilty_ about what I'm going to have to do." He didn't sound guilty in the slightest.   
I shuddered back at his touch and he grabbed my chin with his hand, turning my face so that my blue-green eyes bore into his dark ones.   
"She thinks I'm going to hurt her," he said with a chuckle, leaning so close to me that his foetid breath burned my skin and made my eyes water. "And I could do it so easily, so easily." He threw back his head and cackled.   
He was insane, completely insane. I had understood there was no such thing as an evil Pokemon, except perhaps Mewtwo, but perhaps I had been mistaken…   
"So what are we going to do with her boss?" Loki asked nervously, and I realised then that he too was absolutely terrified of this Alakazam in his red cloth cap and black Team Rocket shirt. He was almost as frightened as I.   
"That's the beauty of it," Alakzam said, standing upright. He stood almost six foot tall, taller than any Alakazam I had ever known of before. "You see, her little friend, that bad, bad Team Rocket boy, has something that I require for my collection…" he fingered his Pokeballs lovingly. "And, I feel we have something that he would rather liked returned to him, more or less intact. So, I shall do a trade, the one for the other."   
"A brilliant idea, master," Loki agreed, and I half expected to see his bowing and scraping the floor. I was sadly disappointed.   
"Of course it is," Alakazam replied. "Do I not have the brains of the world's most powerful computer? I am, quite simply, a super-genius."   
"What do we do about the escaped prisoners?" Loki added, sounding almost as nervous as I. "Do you want them brought back in and dealt with?"   
I didn't like the sound of that. Not one bit.   
Alakazam shrugged. "Perhaps, they could be _fun_, but I would hardly describe of them as escaped. Do you really think any prisoner I wanted to stay put could possibly escape?"   
My jaw dropped open in shock. Had I been set up again?   
He cackled at my stunned expression. "Oh, calm yourself, precious," he said, his voice rich with an undertone of sleeze, "Jessie and James were as unaware of their part in my little game as you were. I needed them to escape, wanted them to escape, because that way they could lead you to me. I knew you would immediately follow up on this juvenile birds of power thing, you always were too nosy for your own good. And then I discovered that your little friend had acquired one of the birds! Imagine my delight, he'd saved me the effort of catching the dratted thing myself."   
I found my voice at last. "But how did you know?" I asked, my voice cracking on the last syllable.   
"Oh, that was the beauty of it," he said, removing his spoons from his belt and flourishing them as though they were swords, extremely short swords. "You see, I'm not just amazingly intelligent, I also know some neat little tricks. So I set a small piece of me in James's head, lord knows the kid wasn't using it, so as I could keep an eye on what he got up too. I saw it all, precious, everything. It was then I decided, why waste time sending agents everywhere, when I can simply send you to catch them for me?"   
"But the lady, the man with the flute…"   
He shrugged, "disposables, the three of them, they were already there and I thought you might need some help calling down the juvenile Articuno." He patted one of the Pokeballs on his belt. "It's mine now, like the juvenile Lugia, the juvenile Moltres, and the juvenile Honou," he patted the balls in turn. "Any more questions there, precious?"   
"What did you do with my Pokemon?" My voice quavered, I didn't know if I wanted the answer.   
Alakazam tapped his spoons together. "Now, let's see, I think that Vaporeon would be quite useful in my shower room, and that Seadra would make a nice centrepiece for a fountain, but that other little insect thing… I think I'll just have that squished and as for that silly green Eevee-freak, well, I think I know a circus that'll take it."   
So he had not caught Snuggles then, I guess that was something to be glad of, but Florion, Ozmos, Razor and Nym, were they all doomed?   
"Of course, first I'd have to brainwash them, and that's just way too much trouble at the moment, so I've just passed them onto my group of Team Rocket Elite for some proper Pokemon training. You never know, they might learn something! Now, I must write this letter for your friend. Oh, I have an idea, perhaps you would like to write it for me?" He handed me a pen and a thin notebook. "I realise that some people can kill another with nothing but a simple ballpoint pen, but I think in this case, I'll take my chances. Now, write what I say…"   
He paused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. I poised the pen over the paper, wondering if for all his intelligence he was actually capable of reading.   
"Kameron, I have been taken captive by the extremely powerful and forceful Team Rocket. If you ever want to see me alive again, hand your juvenile Zapdos to the rainbow-haired woman, whom you know as Freyja, beneath the clock tower at noon tomorrow. Come alone. If you do not come, then my brains shall be scrambled less than an hour later. Repeat, my brains shall be scrambled. This is not an exaggeration, it is the cold, hard truth. Kataryna."   
As soon as he saw that I had finished he snatched the pen from my hand and grabbed the paper, reading it carefully. He eventually nodded in satisfaction.   
"Thank you my dear," he said smoothly, running one hand through my hair. "Take her back to her cell, Loki," he then turned his gaze back to me. "And remember, precious, that if your little friend doesn't keep his side of the deal, then tomorrow, little Kataryna shall be no more!" He through back his head and cackled manically.   
I shuddered, and all but crying, allowed myself to be led back to that horrible cell.

I could not sleep that night, I mean, how could possibly anyone? I was in a tiny cell, knowing that tomorrow was likely to be my last day. I sat there and thought about all the things I'd never get the chance to do – win a gym badge, fall in love, breed Pokemon… I must confess, I spent the night crying into my sleeve and praying that Kameron would hand over Elechick so that I could be free again. This may sound terribly selfish of me, that I'd rather the world be held to ransom by a mad Pokemon then have my brains reduced to pea soup, but it is the sad truth. How would you feel in a similar situation? Would you pick pea soup over another madman ruling the world? I just wished I could be free of this burden. There was a part of me that said Alakazam would never set me free, but I quickly supressed that voice, what else was I to do?

I must have dozed of, because next thing I remember was someone banging on my door with something very large and very heavy. It sounded like a pot. There was a gnawing pit in my stomach, but I tried to ignore that for the more noteable pain, that which shot through my ears and into the very centre of my brain. Whatever, or whomever it was trying to rouse me, I wished them dead!   
"Are you awake yet?" Came a voice and a sapphire blue eye gazed through the tiny window at me.   
"What the hades do you think?!" I shrieked back, shocked at the edge of hysteria in my own voice.   
"It's noontime and the boss does want you to see him," Loki said in a sing-song voice.   
"Admit it," I snarled at him. "The boss scares you shiftless, just like he scares me, I can see it. I can smell it!" I was perfectly capable of being the epitome of rudeness to Loki, he was little more than a kid and not the world's greatest Trainer to boot. Most of his strength had been in his Kadabra, I now realised. The Kadabra that had evolved and decided to take on the whole world with two spoons and five birds.   
For a moment there, I though Loki was going to reply truthfully and admit that he was terrified of his new master, so terrified that he was unable to disobey him, but no such luck. "Of course I'm not scared, I used to be his Trainer," he said, much more boldly than he actually felt.   
In my semi-hysterical state, his unwillingness to admit the truth made a guffaw escape from my throat and once it forced its way past my teeth, I was unable to stop it. My laughter seemed to make him even more nervous.   
"Maximur, make her stop!" He shouted, opening the door and letting the large Lemur Pokemon in. It snarled at me. Then a bright light flashed from its forehead, blinding me and making me stagger forwards. It caught me and half carried, half dragged me from the room.   
"The Boss wants you to accompany young Freyja to meet with your friend. However, you must receive the treatment first."   
I was too scared to ask what "the treatment" might be.

The spoon waved back and forth in front of me, back and forth, back and forth, as much as I didn't want to, I found myself watching it, unable to tear my gaze away from its silver surface. Alakazam began chanting.   
"You are now bound to Freyja, you must not leave her side, you must not speak anything but what I permit you to, you must not disobey me…" There was more, but I could not make out the words, everything was a haze, everything was a blur. Yes, Alakazam had hypnotised me so that I was now Freyja's lapdog.

Freyja strutted boldly through the streets, her long, slender legs, encased in knee-high black boots, marking out every pace as the metal capped heels tapped against the concrete. She wore a low cut black shirt and a skirt so short that if she tried to bend over, surely all too much would be revealed. She was the symbol of an attractive anime woman (if you don't believe me, check out the lengths of Jessie's and Nurse Joy's skirts). Her rainbow coloured braids moved as she walked, twitching against her slender, pale neck like serpents. I tagged along behind her, as passive as a beaten Growlithe. If I so much as tried to step away from her, well… I just couldn't, the mere thought seemed repulsive to me and I didn't know why. It was only much later that I recalled I had been hypnotised.   
After a deceptively short time we stood beneath the clock tower. We were not the only people staging a meeting here, for some feet away stood a man in a black suit with a very nice tie and dark glasses. One hand clutched a suitcase. Probably a drug dealer, I reflected to myself, everyone made their deals beneath the clock tower.   
Freyja motioned for me to sit on a park bench beneath the clock and it was then I first noticed him. He was in my head, _ in my head,_ for the love of the gods. Alakazam was riding with me just as surely as he had ridden with James. I pondered for a moment, wondering if James had felt him there, a sort of burning itch that one could not reach. Freyja sat beside me, primly arranging her skirt so that nothing could be seen whilst she showed off an awlful lot of leather clad leg. A kid passing by blushed at the sight of her.   
Shortly before the clock rang twelve, Kameron showed up. His eyes twitched nervously from side to side and he was visibly shaking. He was wearing his trenchcoat, as usual, and had acquired a smily face, "have a nice day" badge from somewhere. It's strange what you notice when you are facing death. He smiled nervously at Freyja as she stood up gallantly and stalked towards him, like a cat stalking a mouse. Then he saw me.   
"Kat!" He cried, "are you okay?" He seemed to want to rush to my side, but held himself back out of fear.   
My lips tried to form the words, but the little hitchiker in my brain warped them. "I am fine," the words came out stilted, as though I were a robot. "Give her the ball please, so that I can be free."   
Kameron looked puzzled, but must have put down my programmed responses to nothing but common fear. He looked at Freyja, for once her beauty seemed not to effect him. "You will sit her free?" He asked, stiltedly.   
"What did the note say?" Freyja replied tiredly. "Give me the danged thing."   
Kameron handed over the ball, staring sadly at it. "Oh, Elechick," he said, "I sahll miss you so." He kissed it then handed it to her.   
His sorrowful performance had no effect on her, she merely snatched it from his hand. "Is it the ball?" She asked me. But it was not me that answered.   
I could feel Alakazam pausing in my head, sending some sort of psychic wave into the Pokeball. Suddenly he nodded. "It is," I felt myself saying in that robotic monotone.   
"Well then, I guess you two little love birds can be together," Freyja replied. "Go on boyo, go get her."   
Kameron ran into my arms and suddenly, my awareness came back. Alakazam had left my mind, had he really set me free?   
"Oh Kameron," I whispered, throwing my arms around him, "thank you, I was so scared, so scared." I was crying then, tears streaming down my face.   
Kameron squeezed me tightly. "I had to help you," he whispered, his lips almost in my ears, "I…" Whatever he was about to say, was halted by another voice.   
"Oh, what a pretty picture," somebody sprang down from the clock tower, landing neatly on his feet with the grace of a Persian. "Don't they make the cutest couple, Freyja?"   
"Oh yes, they do, Loki," Freyja replied.   
We looked up and saw we were surrounded. The clock tower stood behind us and Freyja and Loki stood before us. Loki had opened his black formal jacket and his tie was twisted around, behind his neck. He had buried his silver hair beneath a dark wig. His smile was sly and fill of mischevious glee as he peered at me over his sunglasses.   
"Shall we do it, Freyja?" He asked.   
"Yeah, why not, for old times sake."   


"Prepare for chaos," Loki began.   
"It never fails," Freyja followed up.   
"To protect the world from temptation."   
"To unite all people in humiliation."   
"To denounce the evils of mischief and love."   
"To extend our reach to the world's above."   
"Loki!"   
"Freyja!"   
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of mind."   
"Surround now, or prepare to lose yours!" Freyja hissed, completely breaking the rhyme.

  
"Maximur."   
"Jynx."   
"Hold them in one place!" The two said at once.   
Jynx seized Kameron and Maximur grabbed me. For something relatively small in stature, it certainly was strong. I remembered Doctor Warwick saying that an animal called the chimpanzee was as strong as about five men and no bigger than a child. Size did not necessarily mean much.   
"But you were going to let her go free!" Kameron shrieked, trying to break free of Jynx's iron grip.   
"Did we say that?" Loki asked mockingly, pulling a piece of paper from his breast pocket. "Now let's see – if you want to see me alive again," he read out. "Well, looks like that bit was true, Kameron, look at her, see you're seeing her alive!" Loki threw back his head and cackled, like the long-extinct hyaena. "And now," he said, regaining his composure, "you're both coming back to meet the boss with me."   
"And I, shall give him this," Freyja tossed the Pokeball in the air. "He shall be so happy that he will probably give me a raise."   
And with that, we were dragged and lead, back to the cell I had been put in beforehand.

Part 4

"I can't believe I fell for it," Kameron muttered.   
"It's not your fault," I replied, "I should have guessed." I hit myself on the leg a couple of times. "Stupid, stupid!"   
Kameron grabbed my arm before I could bruise myself, he patted me on the shoulder. "Look Kat," he said solemnly, "you know I would swim to the ends of the earth to help you, and I guess he did too. At least we're still alive and we can die together."   
"Oh that's reassuring," I muttered, almost biting my tongue. "But we've still failed."   
Kameron shrugged. "It oculd be worse," he said.   
I pondered this for a moment, then gave up, "ok, how?"   
"We could be dead already," he replied. "Look Kat, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…"   
Whatever it was, it would have to wait, because at that moment, Loki banged on the door with the pot again.   
"Hello lovebirds!" He cooed. "I didn't disturb your little lovey-doveyness did I?" He made smooching noises.   
Kameron snarled, actually _snarled_, a low feral, guttural sound.   
"Oh, stroppy, stroppy," Loki said mockingly. "Well, I've come to give you the good news. The boss is ready to brainwash you now."   
I glanced at Kameron and saw the hopelessness on his face. We had lost. We had lost everything.   
"Well, come on, you don't want to keep the boss waiting, do you just?" He sounded more confident than he obviously felt, the fear reflected through like light through water.   
"I think, actually, all things considered," Kameron said carefully, "that in fact we do."   
Loki sighed. "Maximur, go get them."   
"Maxi maximurr!" The muscular Lemur Pokemon strolled towards us, its black and white striped tail twitching. The fur about its cheeks was thick, almost like a mane and it looked very unhappy with us.   
"Charge!" Kameron, ever the bold one, shouted and we ran at the muscular Pokemon. It brought up both fists straight in our way so that we ran into them and then it pushed us away with so much force that we both hit the walls and sunk to a sitting position.   
For a moment, we couldn't catch breath. My ribs, still not fully recovered (I doubt they ever will be) from being injured months ago, throbbed dully and painfully. Kameron was already gasping for breath and I hoped that he hadn't suffered further damage to his lungs.   
"Do you like Maximur's Comet Punch?" Loki said happily. "I thought you would, shame you didn't stay around for the rest of it. Oh well, no loss, let's go see about this brainwashing then." He grabbed me under the armpits and motioned for Maximur to deal with Kameron. Neither of us had the capabilities to resist. Pokemon might be able to fight back after those attacks, but neither Kameron nor I were anywhere near as resilient as Pokemon.

The two of us sat in the high-backed chairs, clinging to each other's hand for support. My left arm had never fully healed after the bone had been damaged, as I'd said earlier, the nerves had been damaged so that I could not feel as well things held in my hand or succesfully judge the weight of objects I was picking up. Also, the ligaments were damaged too, meaning I could not actually grasp properly. Kameron was squeezing my hand so tight that if I had not suffered this damage, I would probably be in substantial pain. I wished I could squeeze him back properly, but my hand was just not strong enough.   
Alakazam stood before us. He had exchanged his red baseball cap and Team Rocket shirt for something he probably considered more appropriate – a suit and tie. He had chopped the sleeves off and was not wearing the pants, his limbs were too skinny for that. He held his spoons crossed in front of him, and his eyes seemed to stare into ours, beyond our eyes and into our very souls.   
"Ala-kazammmm," he chanted, drawing out the last syllable. "Ala-alaaa-alaa-jazaammmm." The spoons flashed before our eyes in a silver, blinding blur. Bright light, purple but flecked with silver, flashed from between the spoons and shot straight into our eyes. I felt the light moving around in my brain, trying to leave a molten trail of lost thoughts, lost memories, lost dreams, lost everything, but somehow ot quite suceeding. It seered behind my eyes like a migraine, deep, penetrating. The pain was so great that lights flashed in front of my eyes and I must have been hallucinating because I thought I could see Maki, crouching in the gloom beneath Alakazam's desk, golden eyes and star glowing. But it must have all been a dream, a haze. The world turned purple, then a dripping scarlet red, as though it were coated in blood. Kameron's hand tightened so much that I could feel his fingernails biting into my flesh and I welcomed it. Welcomed the pain. And suddenly, the pain triumphed and I sagged forward, crashing to the floor. It had been done. My brain had been reduced to pea soup.

It was as if a creature was alive inside my head, clawing to get out. The pain was intense, but oddly, I was alive! If I fought against the beast, I could think. Where was I? It had four walls, a ceiling, floor. Nice, cool floor beneath my chin. White, everything so white. The beast, the beast was trying to escape. My eyes burned as though they had been stabbed by a thousand tiny needles. The light, as stark as it was, coming from that single bulb that hung from the ceiling. That single bulb that swung back and forth, back and forth…. Light, stark, bright, burning my eyes, prickling my skin with its needle like touch. I was back in the cell. There was someone with me, lying there, his breath rasping in his throat. I knew him. I was sure I knew him. Now, what was this, a hand, yes, a hand, used for grasping things, oh look, I had two of them and two, what were they… knees, yes knees, I drew myself onto my hands and knees. The beast fought violently, his breath burning the inside of my skull. I closed my eyes. Blessed darkness, peace, serenity, pain gone. Then I opened them again. The light was less bright now, less stark, more… tame. My friend, Kameron, wa groaning and gasping on the floor. I had to help him. Why did my head feel alive? I crawled over to him, almost stumbling despite the fact that I was on hands and knees, and wrapped my arms around him before falling over into a bundle with him. What was wrong with me? Why was I alive?

Clarity again, I was in a cell, back in the cell, back in the cell with Kameron. Alakazam had done something to my brain, yes, that was it! Alakazam had tried to mess up my brain and had failed. I could still think. Somewhat. The beast had been tamed somewhat now. But stranger still, I felt emptiness… as though, as though the building were empty but for Kameron and I. We were dead, he and I, Alakazam had scrambled our brain and left us for dead. Kameron was holding me, clinging to me tightly, his face pressed against my cheek. I could feel moisture, his face was wet with tears. Why was he crying? We were dead. But if I were dead, how come it hurt so bad? No pain when you're dead. Must be alive.   
Yes! We had survived!   
With that thought, the beast retreated, becoming nothing but the nagging throb of a headache. Blinking in the sudden clarity, I tapped Kameron on the shoulder. He muttered something and stirred a bit.   
"Kameron? Are you, are you okay?" I slurred. My voice sounded like I had been swallowing razor blades.   
"Uruhh," he muttered, which I supposed translated as: "I feel like I've been trampeled by a Rhydon."   
For no readily discerniable reason, except perhaps my unstable mind, I then did something unusual. I kissed him on the cheek.   
"Kat," he mumbled, pulling himself into a sitting position, and almost falling back with the effort. "I've got something to tell you, something to tell you…" His voice mumbled off into a blur. "Only, can't remember, can't remember what…"   
I dragged myself to my feet, leaning against the wall. There was a wash baisin here, wasn't there? A sink? Yes. I stuck my head as best I could beneath the tap (the sink was tiny, as all cell sinks presumerably are) and felt the cool water wash down my cheeks, my neck, I felt a good deal better. I poured a glass of water for Kameron and tipped it over his head.   
"What in hades did you do that for?" He whimpered, shaking his long hair as water trickled down his face and cheeks, soaking into the neckline of that cursed trenchcoat.   
"Feeling better?" I asked innocently.   
Kameron smiled, no, Kameron _beamed_. "We're not dead!" He dragged himself to his feet and tried a little dance, "we're not dead, we're not dead." His knees gave way and he sunk to the floor. "Ugh, but I still feel like a Snorlax sat on me."   
I sat beside him and put my arm (my good arm) around his shoulders. "And we're all alone in here, can you feel it? Alakazam, Loki and freyja, they've gone!"   
Kameron stared into middle distance for a minute then shook his head. "There's someone here," he said. "I can feel it."   
At that moment, the window on the door clicked open and an emerald eye appeared at it. "Surprise!" Came a familiar voice.   
We both froze and tried to appear as though we'd been brainwashed just in case, but the bolt on the door was slid open and standing there was a somewhat attractive young man, with blue hair.   


"Prepare for trouble," he said.

  
"Hey that's my line!"   
"I felt like a change."   
"Anyway, these are our _friends_ fool!"   
"Oh, for goodness sake." Meowth strode in. "We came ter rescue you guys," he said cheerfully. Snuggles loped in beside him.   
"Buru rururu!" He shrieked happily, throwing himself into my arms.   
"Snuggles, you're alright!"   
"Bu RU!" ("Too right!")   
"Anyways," the talking Meowth continued, "we rescued yer, we thought we was too late, cos the little Lemur guy says she thought you'd been brainwashed, but yer seem okay. Let's get outa here."   
"Maki? Maki's here?" For the first time I remembered my vision, the vision I had had whilst Alakazam was brain-washing me. Of Maki, sitting beneath the table, his eyes burning gold. I hadn't quite heard Meowth's use of pronoun.   
"Um, kind of," Jessie muttered. She sounded sheepishly, like one who has been forced to break the bad news.   
James stepped forward and took my hand in his. "I'm sorry, Kat, but we found him lying beneath the table. Well, Buru found him, good nose on that fellow…"   
"Buru!" Snuggles hugged James's leg. He was fully appreciative of any compliment.   
"We had to rush him to a Pokemon Centre and, well…" he paused, glancing at his feet, not willing to meet my eyes. "They don't think he's going to make it."   
"What? Why?"   
"I think he tried some sort of, well, let's say attack, although I think its more a defensive move, and over did himself."   
My eyes shone with tears. "He saved us," I said, grabbing James so tightly that he struggled to get away. "He tried to protect us from the psychic beam. And he gave his own life."   
"I wouldn't go that far," James said, "he's still alive, don't you think that's a bit hasty?"   
"I have to see him." I clambered to my feet and ran through the door. My head felt faint, the beast had awoken again. My knees crumpled and I collapsed. James helped me to my feet.   
"I think," Jessie said, "this might be quicker if we help you."

Somehow, they managed to get us out of the building and into a station wagon parked just outside the building. It was an old warehouse, I saw now, the sign so faded that the letters seemed to have been randomly placed on it. James helped me into the wagon and Kameron immediately threw his arms around me.   
"He'll be fine," he said, reassuringly.   
"Of course," I replied, tears swelling in my eyes, "he has to be."   
"Oh," Jessie said, "I forgot to tell you," she pulled a small drawstring bag from somewhere on her person (this isn't exactly real life, folks, the bag wasn't _that_ small, and handed it to me. "All these years we've been stealing Pokemon, it's hard to remember what giving them back is like."   
"But Jessie," Meoth interjected, "we've had to give them back nearly every time."   
"Shut up you," she said, cuffing Meowth across the head in an almost affectionate way. "Make this thing move James!"   
The wagon roared into life and we exploded out and into the road. I opened the bag. It was filled with Pokeballs. I found mine pretty much by touch, something that I was sure I could not do before, sorting them out, Ozmos, Florion, Razor, Nym, they were all there. I handed the bag to Kameron, and he found his Pokeballs as easily as I had found mine. There were two missing of course, Elechick and Auroris. I knew where they would be. But I had more to worry about at the present.

James had been quite right, Maki was in a bad way. He lay on an operating table, looking so tiny (because he was, the only Pokemon smaller was Diglett) and weak. I longed to touch him, but he looked so fragile, I was scared to.   
"Is he going to… to make it?" I asked Nurse Joy.   
She shook her head. "I don't want to sound depressing, but I don't think so," she said. "It's used all its energy in one extremely powerful attack, I doubt it has the energy to survive, to heal itself."   
"Can I touch him?"   
"Of course," she replied. "But it may not know you're here."   
"Where's the other one?" Kameron asked, sounding as tearful as I, but somewhat more practical.   
"Resting," the Nurse replied. "It spent all night by this one's side and I've only just managed to make it sleep." She shook her head, "I had to drug it, I hated doing that, but the poor wee mite was so stressed that if it did not rest it would soon be in the same state as this one." She took Kameron by the arm. "I think it'd like to see you," she continued. "Let's leave these two alone."   
"But…" Kameron protested.   
"I think they need to be alone," Nurse Joy insisted, leading Kameron from the theatre.   
I was secretly glad they had gone, because I knew that I was about to cry, not just cry but Cry, a literal torrent. I didn't want Kameron to see that, I knew he cared for me and I knew he cared for Maki, but I didn't want him to see me cry. I had been through this sort of thing so much recently, first Kameron himself, then Florion, and now Maki, the pain was too great to bear. I couldn't lose Maki, I couldn't!   
I stood by the tiny scrap of fur, watching the slight, and somewhat irregular rise and fall of his fragile chest. He was so small, so vulnerable. I reached out and stroked his chest, remembering how Kameron had been in the same position four months ago. Somehow, this time it was worse. It was not that I did not care for Kameron, did not love him, but he was a human, with the sins of a human and Maki was a Pokemon, an innocent, like a tiny child. But it went further then that. People understood how you felt when a human friend died, but they had more difficulty when that friend was animal or Pokemon.   
"I love you Maki," I whispered. "You've been my friend for four years, my best friend. A true friend. We had such adventures together, remember how we first met Kameron? When he tried to steal you? Oh, how I wish those times had never ended, but as we grow up, our fights grow so much tougher. You saved my life, Maki, my life and Kameron's, and I just wish there was something I could do to save yours. Oh Maki," the tears came now, flowing down my cheeks, which were hollow from lack of food, "please don't die. Please. I couldn't stand it if you died."   
Suddenly I felt something, a tingle as though of static electricity. Then something gripped my hand tightly.   
"Maki?"   
"Maaakiii," he muttered his voice more a whispered mew. "Maaakiiimurrr."   
"Maki, you're alive!" I almost shrieked, staring down at the tiny bundle of fur. The golden eyes were gleaming now, bright with life. I didn't know what had happened, but my Makimur was going to survive!   
As though on cue, Kameron barged through the door, almost sweeping me off my feet in an all encompasing bearhug. He almost crushed my ribs again.   
"Maki!" Maki still sounded weak, but his voice was much stronger.   
"How did you know?" I asked, pushing Kameron off me and away from the table (I was scared we might crush Maki, truth be told).   
He looked puzzled. "I, I don't know, I was just standing there, talking to Nurse Joy, when suddenly I felt something, I _knew_ that you were happy, and there was only one thing that could inspire such joy in you…"   
I kissed him then, quickly, impulsively, a quick peck on the lips that made him blush like mad. "I think," I replied, "that instead of hurting us, Alakazam gave us a gift, a wonderful gift."

Part 5

Kameron and I sat side by side in the plane, Maki and Kiki sitting in our laps. Maki was already much recovered from his ordeal – he had eaten four toffees (scavenged them off the other passengers by wandering around looking cute, might I add, Beguile worked on everyone, human and Pokemon alike), two sachets of ketchup (damn that Pikachu!) and two packets of sugar. Kiki had also helped in the sugar eating. She was folding paper darts out of a magazine, something James had taught her, he thought it had seemed like a good idea at the time – she was too small to throw them, the problem was, she kept bringing them to James to throw and got annoyed when he wouldn't.   
Meowth and Jessie were quietly watching the in-house movie, which appeared to be a remake of "Lassie" (the story of a Growlithe that rescued lots of people). I don't think Meowth liked the dog much, he kept clapping quietly when something bad happened to it. Kameron and I were pretending to watch the movie, but Maki had stolen my headphones (which he had to lie between to hear) and my mind was a-buzz with thoughts and ideas. We were going to Lake Eerie, to stop Alakazam. In theory. He had a three day lead on us, but Jessie and James were fairly sure he was travelling by road (either Team Rocket had no planes or the new boss just hated air balloons, I wouldn't know). I imagined it would be very hard to hire an aeroplane seat for an Alakzam, at the least, conspicuous, and I doubted he would let anyone put him in a Pokeball ever again. I think in this case, Jessie was right, all up, a car was less likely to attract attention to him, and anyway, what did he have to stop him? Two kids whose brains had been scrambled? Even though Maki had saved us from that unpleasant fate, we had suffered huge side-effects involving an almost brain-scrambled fate for two days, before we had recovered and been freed. It was likely that Alakazam had stayed in the warehouse for the first day, just to be sure we weren't going to get up and cause trouble. Little did he know…   
The oddest thing was, I felt more postive than I had in days. I think, perhaps it was a feeling of invincibility. Alakazam had done the worst he could do to us, and he'd failed, that meant he was fallible. But if he managed to evolve those birds, his strength would increase tenfold, if not more. We had to get there before he evolved them.   
"I think its amazing that Maki recovered so quickly," Kameron said softly to me. It didn't stop Maki hearing, he looked at me with those bright and intelligent eyes.   
"Makiki?" He said.   
I remembered the slight buzz of static electricity and pondered for a moment, but that idea was too good, too wonderful to be voiced aloud, just in case I jinx it. I merely shrugged. "I guess he's just resilient."   
"Maki maki mur!"   
"Makiki kimur," Kiki added. She was trying to signal down the drinks cart.   
We were only on for the short part of the flight though, for out the window I could already see the forests of Lake Eerie materialising before us.   
"We're almost there," James pointed out from the seat behind us. "So now what?"   
"Now," I said softly, "we pray that we were here first."   
"How do you propose to stop him?" Jessie asked. "What can we possibly do against five birds of power, even baby ones, and the world's most powerful Alakazam?"   
"Armed, as we are, with naught but a Dewgong, a Magikarp and a Spearow," James added.   
"We're doomed, doomed," Meowth said miserably. "Why do we get into dese problems, Jessie?"   
"Nonsense," I replied, "we can do it."   
"I wish I had your optomism," Jessie muttered.   
"We are now preparing to land in Eerie Town," came a voice over the loudspeaker. "Everybody please take you seats and fasten your seatbelts. All cigarettes must be extinguished. Thank you." The robotic voice disappeared. I grabbed Maki and tucked him under my shirt, whilst Kameron grabbed Kiki, we had to keep them with us with the plane landed. Maki protested weakly, but Kiki, who had eaten a lot of sugar, protested somewhat more strongly.   
"Do you want to get hurt?" Kameron scolded her.   
"Maki mur," she muttered and allowed herself to be installed inside Kameron's trench coat.   
The plane landed with a jolt and we all unboarded. Eerie Town looked much the same as before, small, rustic buildings, barns with rusty roofs. Now came the hard part, we had to find, and stop, the evil Pokemon boss of Team Rocket. But first, something else was required.   
"I'm hungry," James moaned, "let's get some takeout first!"   
"Maki kimur." ("Pizza, please").   
"Kiki mur mur," ("With extra ketchup.") Kiki added.   
"Oh, not her too," I moaned. "Damn you Ash Ketchum and your Ketchup addicted Pikachu!"   
And Maki hadn't even liked it at first…

Vaporeon polished off the last slice of pizza. She must have smelt it even in her Pokeball, because she had jumped out the moment we got to the water front with it. We had bought three large pizzas, half for each of us humans, half for Meowth and a slice for Maki and Kiki (who didn't have big stomachs), so there were a few scraps for Ozmos, but I was glad she hadn't brought out the others. They had been fed last night and they would be fed later, but on something a little cheaper than pizza. We were almost out of money. Or Kameron and I were anyway, and James _claimed_ to be.   
"So where are these Magic stones?" Jessie asked.   
"I don't know," I replied. "I was told that they could only be found by those who were not seeking them."   
James chuckled. "Oh, that's great."   
"We don't actually need to find them," Kameron pointed out, "we just have to stop Alakazam from doing so."   
"Oh, such big plans for ones so feeble," the voice came behind us. "What do you honestly think you can do against us, precious?"   
I whirled, fear rising in my throat. But it was merely Loki, grinning like the Meowth that got the cream. "What do you want?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.   
"Oh, merely to gloat in our success. Oh, but we left you for dead, so you seem to be a bit too active." He rubbed his chin. "Now, what shall we do with you! Let's see, oh, I know!" He drew out his Pokeballs. "Go Maximur, go Fearow."   
"Oh get a grip," I said slyly, "if we can survive Alakazam's brain wiping, we can survive your measly Pokemon." I drew out a Pokeball, curious as to what it could do. "Go Nym!"   
"Nym, nym, synonymph!" The Nymph Pokemon skittered around, glaring at Loki from its red compound eyes. They began to glow.   
Loki looked puzzled. "What is that thing?" He muttered. "Who cares, get it Fearow!"   
"Roooowwww!" The Fearow swooped down and sudden a bright, irridescent purple light shot from Nym's antennae. It caught the bird in the breast and sent it flapping backwards into the air, squawking in rage and pain.   
"That's a confuse ray," Kameron pointed out. "Go help it Shrubslash!"   
"Slash, slash!" The green-spined Sandslash charged at the Maximur, rolling itself into a tight ball of spines.   
Maximur was quicker, it waved its hands forming a barrier between it and the Porcupine Pokemon. Shrubslash hit the barrier and shot into the air, a ball of prickled.   
"Razor leaf attack!" Kameron shouted. The spines fired from the porcupine's body and although the barrier deflected some, others found their way over it. It was not a dome, but merely a wall. Maximur was cut by the sharp-edged leaves.   
"Solar beam it!" Loki shouted, realising that he was about to lose.   
The light that shot from the Maximur's forehead was many times brighter than Maki's, but it had no effect on the spinning Shrubslash, since it was still curled up in a ball.   
"Ok, Shrubslash, Fury Swipes!" Kameron shrieked in excitement. It was the first battle he had fought using only his Shrubslash. We had to give Loki a sporting chance.   
"Slash, slash," with amazing skill, the Shrubslash landed on its feet right in front of the Maximur (the invisible barrier had dispersed now). It hacked at it with its machete-like claws.   
Maximur tried to tail swipe Shrubslash, bowling it over with its powerful ringed tail, but all it managed to do was cut its tail on Shrubslash's Razor sharp spines.   
"Maxi ximur!" It cried in pain.   
"Vine whip," Kameron added. I had the feeling he was just trying out attacks now to see what his Shrubslash could do.   
"Slash!" The snake-like vines whipped out, hitting the Maximur on both sides of its furry mane. It tried to retaliate with some sort of psychic attack, I could see the concentration on its face, but it was too worn, too beaten. It fell beneath the blows.   
"Return both of you!" Loki shouted, trying to recall his Pokemon. However, the confusion had rendered Fearow disobedient and it flew straight at him, its long bill passed between his legs, lifting him off the ground as though he were nothing. The silver-haired man screamed as he tumbled backwards over the bird's broad back. "You have beaten me this time," he said, staggering to his feet and running after his Fearow, limping somewhat, "but you'll never beat the boss."   
And then he was gone."

"They're trying to wear you out," James pointed out in an amazingly insightful fashion. "He wasn't trying to beat you, merely tire out your Pokemon."   
"I'd figured that," I pointed out, "which was why I sent my least tried Pokemon out after him, so I could save the others in case of an emergency." I scratched Nym's chin. The Nymph was stretched along my arm, its feather-like tail fins tickling the inside of my elbow. "It's a little sweetie," I said.   
"Nym, nym!" It agreed happily.   
"If Loki's here, I guess that means Freyja and Alakazam are too," Kameron said, sounding tired. "Probably we'll meet Freyja soon. Alakazam must be off trying to find these stones."   
"Ozmos," I said, calling the Vaporeon from her Pokeball, "do you remember where you evolved?"   
"Va por!" ("Of course!")   
"Do you think she could actually lead us there?" Kameron asked, expressing his doubts. We had been told that the stones remained hidden from those who sought them.   
"Va por, va poreon." ("I can try").   
"Ok, let's go, lead on Ozmos."   
She loped off through the long grass, her tail swishing and taking out clumps of plants as she proceeded.

"Prepare for Chaos!" A voice shouted, and suddenly Freyja had jumped out of a tree in front of us.   
"It sometimes fails," Kameron said with a chuckle as the two simultaneously drew out their Pokeballs.   
"Go Jynx!"   
"Go Marril!"   
Kameron was prepared for this one – Marril would be immune to Jynx's seduction dance, being female.   
"Jynx, double slap!"   
"Marril, dodge and water gun!"   
The oddly attractive Jynx swung her large hands at both sides of the little Marril. Marril sprang into the air, bouncing off her tail, then spewed forth a torrent of water at the Jynx. The force shot her higher into the air.   
The Jynx tried to block the torrent with both her hands. At that point, Marril bounced down and landed on her head.   
"Jynx!" She cried, and a force of purple light struck the Marrill, forcing it backwards, away from her.   
"Disable attack!" Freyja cried. Jynx clapped her hands and Marrill tumbled to the ground.   
"Marril," she said weakly.   
"Go Kadabra," Freyja released the psychic Pokemon. "Finish it off!"   
"Ok!" I shrieked. "Let's fight psychic with psychic, go Nym!"   
"Nym, nym!"   
Freyja threw back her head and laughed. "You're sending a _bug_ against my Kadabra. Stomp on it!'   
"Kadabra!" The Kadabra tried to send it sprawling with its tail.   
But the Synonymph was no longer there. It had teleported away. "Nym, Sy nym!"   
"Kadabra!" Annoyed now, the Kadabra stormed after it.   
"Nym, nym!" Once again, the Nymph Pokemon blinked away.   
"Kadabraa!" It was really, really irritated now, but the pesky pest kept avoiding it somehow. It waved its spoon, shooting out a beam of purple light.   
And missed.   
"Sy No NYM!" Nym shrieked, as its antennae glowed and a ball, yes a ball, of purple energy shot towards the Kadabra.   
Swinging its large tail about, Kadabra tried to bowl the ball of energy away, but it exploded at contact and the Kadabra fell to the ground, stunned!   
Jessie, James and Freyja all stood their gaping.   
"Nym," the little bug said proudly, twitching its antennae. "Nym, sy no nym."   
Kameron was too concerned with Marril to worry about what was happening over there, fortunately, Freyja was also distracted so the Jynx was fighting on her own.   
"Help her out, Shrubslash!" He shouted, releasing the grass/earth Pokemon.   
"Slash, slash." Shrubslash sprang into the air, rolling into a tight ball and aimed directly at Jynx. It hit her square on, sending her backwards into the thick, wet grass.   
"Jynx!" Her next attack sent Shrubslash rolling backwards, but it sprang to its feet, unharmed. The Razor leaf spines had protected this porcupine!   
Shrubslash was visibly tiring. Kameron had not fought with it much at all, and all this tumbling and leaping had left it exhausted. It leaned on one machete-like clawed hand.   
Jynx was little better, but she advanced anyway, her hair was in a disarray and her posture was one of the almost bet.   
"Just one more vine-whip!" Kameron shouted. "You can do it, Shrubslash!"   
"Slash, slash!" The vines snaked out and sent the Jynx tumbling. She did not get up. Shrubslash sagged.   
"Take a break," Kameron said, "you did great." He patted the porcupine Pokemon on the head and then looked up to glare at Freyja. "I've just about had enough of you and your blond friend," he said, bitterness in his voice. "Let's forget about the Pokemon." And he ran at Freyja. She wasn't even looking at him, she was staring at her beaten Kadabra. Kameron leapt at her, sending her tumbling in the dirt.   
Freyja screamed, half out of surprise, half out of pain. Kameron grabbed her long hair and stared into her brilliant green eyes.   
"You are no match for me and my friend," he hissed, "take this as your last warning. Leave us alone, and leave your foolish new boss alone too. Go off and make a life for yourself."   
Freyja pushed him off her, her knee catching him in a painful part of the anatomy. She was smaller than he, but wily and fast. As he lay on the ground, whimpering somewhat in pain, she kicked him. It was too much for me.   
"Leave him alone!" I shrieked and threw myself at her, flailing. One hand caught her cheek, the other her chin, she gasped in surprise at the pain. I could be quite a scrappy fighter when I wanted to. She struggled free.   
"Return Kadabra, return Jynx." She shot me a baleful glare. "You really are a couple of little twerps aren't you?" She said. "I'll be glad to be rid of you." Then putting her petite, if somewhat bruised, chin in the air, she marched boldly away. She was limping somewhat, since she was wearing high heels and Kameron had hit her with some force. She tried to hide it.   
"Good frigging riddance!" Kameron shouted after you.   
"Are you okay?" I asked him, helping him to his feet. His face was pale and his eyes watering, but he seemed intact.   
"I've been through worse," he said with a wry smile. "Come on, let's see if we can get to these stones."   
It was then I realised that Jessie and James were applauding.   
"Good show kids," Jessie said happily. "You guys really showed them what for."   
"We could kick your behinds any day!" Kameron said, seeming a lot perkier.   
"Yeah, if Ash can, we can."   
"So why is it that you have no badges?" James asked. "Your Pokemon seem to be good fighters."   
I shrugged. "I don't approve of hurting them for my own ego," I replied. "I'm sure they would fight for me if I really wanted them to, but personally, I don't think you need heaps of badges to prove you are a great trainer. You just need Pokemon that are loved, and love you."   
"Maki mur!" Maki agreed.   
James wiped his eye, probably pretending a tear, I surmised.   
"It's all very sweet," Jessie pointed out, "but don't we have a Pokemon to stop?"   
"Vapor vaporeon!" ("Follow me again!")   
Ozmos darted off through the long grass and we recalled our worn Pokemon (Shrubslash and Marrill were exhausted, but Nym still seemed fill of life) and followed after her.

"Va por vaporeon," she pondered, staring at a water cave. We were ankle deep in water, the coolness seeping through my socks and into my shoes. She had led us to the stone, yes, but where was it? I could almost feel it, a sort of cool, blue hum, that settled in my head. But it was intangiable. It should be right before us, just inside this cave, but there was no blue glow.   
"It's definitely there," Kameron replied, answering my unspoken question, "but we can't find it, just like that Archaelogist woman said – they remain hidden from those that seek them."   
"Won't that make it hard for Alakzam to find them then?" James pointed out. "Perhaps this what not such a wasted trip."   
"Nah, I don't think so. I think it has a different effect on Pokemon, remember how the Haunter led us there, Kameron? It must have known the Leaf Stone was there."   
"Va por, vapore eon." Vaporeon appeared to agree with that statement. If we weren't here, she would have found it by now.   
"Can you smell Alakazam?" I asked her. "Has he been here?"   
Ozmos stood on her hind legs and sniffed around the edge of the tunnel. She pulled a grimace. "Va por." ("I'm afraid so").   
I sighed. "How do we find him then?"   
Kameron drew out a Pokeball. "Come on out Marrill!" He said.   
"Her, but she's exhausted!"   
Kameron shot me an evil look. He picked up Marrill in both hands. She looked very worn out. "Marrill, can you hear Alakzam?" He asked.   
"Ma rill ma rill," she chanted, flicking her ears back and forth. They were large, like radar dishes. How she could hear when she was talking at the same time, I have no idea, but suddenly she paused and pointed. "Marill!"   
"Ok, tell me when we're getting closer," Kameron tucked Marrill in his pocket and we headed off in the direction she had indicated.   
"She's got Articuno," James muttered. "I don't like this one bit…"

Marrill lead us to the mouth of a dark tunnel. "Marrill marrill," she said almost glumly, pointing down the dark depths.   
"We have to go down _there_," Jessie said, a tremour in her voice.   
James clutched her.   
"A little bit of darkness won't hurt you fraidy cats," Meowth said cheerfully enough. "Come on Kam, let's go."   
Kameron glanced at me. "We have to go down there don't we," he said.   
"Marrill!"   
"Well, okay…"   
We proceeded into the gloom. "Maki, Kiki, make your stars glow," I said and the two makimurs happily obliged.   
"There even better dan torchers," Meowth commented.   
"Yeah," James agreed, "regular little sunshines."   
Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Cut it out you guys," she said. She and James were still clutching each other.   
The tunnel was deep and dark and dank, and other things beginning with "d". The floor was slippery, slick with moisture and I realised we were actually under the lake. This came as something of a horror to me. I was not by nature claustrophobic, but I was mildly hydrophobic (cos I couldn't swim) and the thought of being beneath tons of water was enough to freak me out.   
As though he somehow felt my sudden onrush of phobia, Kameron reached out and grabbed my arm. He pecked me lightly on the cheek. "You'll be fine," he whispered, "we'll both be fine. It's them I'm worried about." He nodded at Jessie and James and I was unable to not chuckle. Meowth was easily the boldest of that lot, he strode on ahead with us, although I must confess, every noise sent him scurrying behind Kameron's leg.   
The tunnel widened, the ceiling rising above us almost like the dome of a cathedral. Now the lights of the Makimur picked out things in the walls, small fossils, stones shaped like shells, and what appeared to be Synonymphs, were encased in the rock walls. They had obviously been formed by water, for the tunnels were smooth and rounded. Suddenly I was aware there was a presence up above.   
"Marrill, marrill!" Marrill shrieked in alarm. Kameron pulled out her Pokeball and put her safely away. The oncoming fight was not for her, she had fought enough already.   
"Well, well, well," came the deep voice of Alakazam himself, as the golden furred Psychic Pokemon stepped out of the gloom and stood before us. He looked taller, more powerful. His spoons almost seemed to glow with silver light. "If it isn't little miss Nosy and her lovely boyfriend. Hello precious," he winked at me in a fashion that almost made me nauseaus. "Oh, and they've brought the terrible trio with them. Greetings Jessie, James, Meowth, I'm sure the Nosy couple brought you along especially to help them, because you're oh so skilled at what you do." He grinned and his teeth flashed whitely in the gloom.   
"We can't let you do it!" I said boldly, sticking my pert chin out in defiance (a fairly common position for it). "We are immune to your brain-washing techniques and you're not important, you're just a Pokemon after all!"   
"Maki," Maki muttered to himself. He knew I was saying that, but he still wasn't too fond of it.   
"A Pokemon is no match for us," Kameron said boldly. "Go Cubone."   
"Yeah," I agreed, "go Ozmos."   
"No match for us," Jessie followed up, "Dewgong, do your stuff!"   
James glanced around. He didn't want to be left out but there was no way he was sending a spearow up against this. "Umm," he muttered, "go Meowth!" He pushed Meowth forward sureptiously.   
"Hey," Meowth yowled. "You can't make me fight, you can't!"   
Alakazam threw back his head and laughed. "You're wrong of course, your puny Pokemon cannot beat me, noone can, I've got the birds of power at my command. They're no match for your pathetic little Pokemon." He drew a Pokeball from his belt. "Go Articuno!"   
The bird was huge, but the chamber we were in was even bigger. It flapped its wings and squawked in a force so immense that it made the walls shake.   
Jessie and James grabbed each other in fear. Ozmos recalled herself, Meowth jumped over his cowering friends and peered at the bird nervously.   
"Dew gong gong," the Dewgong whimpered and ran over Jessie and James and into the tunnel beyond, where it promptly disappeared.   
Staunch, brave Cubone stood there, hands on his hips in preparation for the oncoming battle. However, Kameron was not going to leave him out to face it alone. "Cubone return!" He shouted.   
Which left us and the two Makimurs. No competition for one of the elemental birds.   
"Freeze them, Articuno!" Alakazam shouted.   
"Arrtiicunooo!" The bird shrieked, flapping its wings violently. Suddenly the temperature in this cavern dropped massively, then dropped again. I started shuddering and the Makimurs crawled beneath my short, whimpering in the cold. My hands began to lose feeling, the left one first, then the right and still the bird kept flapping its wings.   
Kameron drew himself beneath his trenchcoat, white dust appearing in his hair. "Flar-flareon," he called, "Come, co-come help me."   
Unaffected by the cold, Alakzam stood there, his hands on his hips and shook his head glumly. "You know, I expected better of you two. You survived my brainwashing technique, something that will shock me from this day, you bet both Loki and Freyja and their new, stronger Pokemon, and now you're going to die beneath the talons of the birds you brought to me yourself. That's so sad!"   
We shuddered, almost frozen with cold.   
"Return Articuno," he said, "we can't have you wearing yourself out. Come on Zapdos, say hello!"   
"Flareon," Flareon was curled up close to Kameron, his warmth keeping the young man warm, or at least somewhat warmer. He flicked his tail in my direction and the warmth reached through the horrible snow and thawed me out somewhat.   
"Okay, Zapdos, thunderstorm them for me, why don't you?"   
Jessie and James, who had been electrocuted more times than you can count, drew together even closer, Meowth gasping for breath from between them.   
"Zap DOS!" The bird began flapping its wings, the sparks already crackling from its talons to the floor.   
Kameron set Flareon down on the ground, and put his Pokeballs beside him. He was still shivering, he glanced at me and mouthed quietly. "I love you, Kataryna, but this is something I have to do."   
I was shocked at the revelation. Was that what he'd been trying to tell me all along? I knew what he was going to do too, he was going to try my trick. I wanted to stop him, but my muscles would not answer, they seemed almost frozen solid.   
Kameron, brave, beautiful Kameron, stepped out beneath the great Electric bird of power. Lightning crackled around him, sending small static sparks across his hair. He stared up into the mad eyes of the Zapdos.   
"Zapdos," he said, "remember me? I was your trainer when you were nothing but Elechick. You did such a wonderful job then, I admired you so much." The sparks crackled but the bird had paused, waiting for him to finish speaking. I noticed that despite the lightning arching around it, none actually hit Kameron.   
"Don't listen to him, you fool!" Alakzam sounded almost desperate. "I'm your trainer, you have to do what I say, I own you!"   
"Zap?" The bird croaked, turning its steely gaze onto Alakzam.   
"No," Kameron continued calmly. "You don't have to do what he says. He does not own you. No one could ever own you, you're the most powerful, spectacular bird in the whole world. How could anyone own you? I never pretended to own you, I was merely keeping you from him."   
"Zap?" the bird quirked its spiky head at him. "Zap dos." It turned its glare back at Alakazam.   
Kameron was in his stride now. "He doesn't want to be your friend, he wants you to be his _slave_. He wants you to do whatever he commands."   
"Zap!" Zapdos narrowed its eyes.   
"I would never ask that of you," Kameron added. But he needn't have bothered.   
"No, that's not true!" Alakazam shrieked, "he can't know, I want you to reign the world with me. We can rule together, you and I…"   
"ZAP DOS!" The thunder bird bellowed, drowning out Alakzam's pleas. Lightning arched from the bird, from its wings, its talons, its tail, all of it directed at Alakazam.   
There was a crakling sound as the walls began to disintegrate under the lightning, the misfire. Alakazam was nothing but a throbbing glow, although he was screaming, screaming in a manner that was inhuman only too human.   
"We've got to get out of here!" Jessie shouted above the thunder and the crackling and the screaming. The whole roof's going to cave in!" Water was already starting to seep in around the edges. She grabbed my hand and tried to lead me out. I resisted.   
"Kameron, no, we must get Kameron!"   
"I'll get him," James shouted gallantly. Kameron was standing there as though frozen, the lightning that misfired crackled around him, yet he seemed unharmed, just transfixed.   
Jessie grabbed me by the hand and forcibly dragged me down the hallway. Maki and Kiki, struck by the need for survival, leapt onto her shoulders. Meowth was far ahead of us. We could see plainly now, even without the Makimur's handy head torches. The crackling lightning lit the corridor in eerie golden radiance.   
We tumbled out of the mouth of the tunnel and into the dirt. I could see now that Jessie too was crying, the tears leaving streaks down her otherwise dirt-smeared face. "He was my best friend," she muttered, "trust him to try and be the valiant one."   
I threw my arms around her. "Kameron was my best friend," I whispered, "and he loved me, and I guess that I love him. But they're not dead yet!"   
Jessie did not seem convinced. Meowth licked her cheek trying to cheer her up. Maki and Kiki sat on my shoulders again, their fur warm against mine.   
Out of the hole in the ground poured Kameron's Pokemon – Dancer, Shrubslash, Marril (she was sitting astride Flareon), Flareon grinning like a hero. But there was no sign of Cubone, and no sign of Kameron, James or the birds of power.   
Suddenly the ground began to shake, and a mighty crevasse cracked open. The lake began to bubble and fish popped to the surface, dead or stunned as the electricity radiated across its surface. Zapdos exploded from the hole, flapping powerfully into the air, sparks still flicking from its feathers and talons. Behind it flew the others, Articuno, huge and blue, with its beautiful tail spread out behind it like a bridal train, Moltres, flames flicking from its wings sizzling as they contacted the water, Hounou, its feathers a riotous mix of colours. And last of all, a small white bird, looking no bigger than Elechick or Auroris, the last of the birds, the only one that had not been evolved. Honou and Moltres flapped away into the sky, disappearing over the horizon, one a brilliant flash of flame, the other a rainbow of colours. The unevolved bird, the juvenile Lugia, flapped after them, squawking for them to slow down. Only Articuno and Zapdos remained. They both as one soared down to the water and scooped up something in each of their talons. In tandem and with great grace they dropped what they held in front of us. It was James and Kameron. Jessie and I immediately ran to their sides. Kameron was a mess. His trenchcoat was sodden, his long hair clung to his face in clumps of greasy brown. He did not appear to be breathing. James had fared somewhat better, if Jessie's comments were anything to go on. He was still alive.   
I leaned over Kameron, cradling his face in my hand. I then tried something I had learnt once, years ago, the only thing that might save him. (Don't try this at home kids, if you do it wrong or on someone who is alive, it can be fatal). I tilted his head back, and breathed into his mouth, paused for a few seconds then pressed both hands on his chest, repeating the procedure. The tears that had been banished fought their way to the surface again, and my teardrops landed on his pale skin. I repeated the procedure again, and again, with little effect.   
"Don't die," I whispered to him, much the same way I had whispered to Maki on the operating table only a couple of days ago. "I love you Kameron." Then I felt it, that strange, tingling feeling as though of electricity pulsing through my hands. I paused, looking at them, but they appeared no different from normal.   
Beneath me, Kameron coughed and spluttered. It was the most welcoming, wonderful sound I had heard in a lifetime.   
"I love you too," he whispered, his voice a rasp and I threw my arms around him.   
Everything would be just all right. Better than all right in fact!

Part 6

We watched, arm in arm, Kameron was still somewhat unsteady, as Zapdos and Articuno flew away, disappearing across the horizon. Zapdos had stood there looking faintly embarrassed, changing from foot to foot as I had tried to bring Kameron back from the land of the dead. I could tell the bird felt guilty for its part in Kameron's problems. Elechick really had been fond of him. Once Kameron was capable of standing (we were a resilient lot, us four!) he had walked over, hugged the bird and scratched it behind the ear. Zapdos had known it had been forgiven. My heart was in my mouth the whole time, surely Kameron would not be electrocuted!   
I had bid "farewell" to Articuno in much the same manner. They were not the birds we had caught as chicks, but they still remembered and they were young, and nervous. But they were the birds of power now – the act of evolving them had destroyed the other ones, and they had all the responsibilities of those birds. There was just one thing missing.   
"Cubone, I must find Cubone…"   
James, who was a little more aware than Kameron, had explained to us what had happened in the cavern. He had rushed to help Kameron, only to find Cubone appear beside him and take him by the hand. They had then walked through the lightning wall, and somehow, James had not been hit. They had just reached Kameron, and James had grabbed him with his free arm, when the roof had finally burst open. Lake Eerie had literally fallen in on them. The water had conducted the electricity, so that the fact that Cubone was semi-resistant had no longer mattered. They had all been electrocuted and thrown out of the hole and into the lake. What had happened after that, James could not absolutely recall. He thought Cubone must have been thrown away from them, maybe trapped below, like Alakazam.   
Kameron wandered off to search the shore, and I joined him, in dire fear that he might collapse or something less than pleasant happen to him. It took us a disturbingly short time to find Cubone.   
He lay in a puddle, bone still clasped in his hand. Kameron rushed to his side.   
I could tell from here we were too late, the Cubone's hide was singed, its eyes glazed over, lifeless. His skull helmet had cracked, revealing an almost rat-like face beneath, teeth curled into a snarl of rictus. Kameron was sobbing when I reached his side.   
"He was my best friend," he whimpered, "I saved him from a trap when I was only eleven and he's been with me ever since. He died trying to save me." I held him close, realising that I had come so close to losing the two most important people (or pokemon) in my life.   
"I'm sorry," I whispered. I knelt down beside the corpse, and put my hands on him, perhaps willing the electricity to move through me, reviving it as I suspected had happened with Maki and Kam. Nothing. Perhaps the bond between Cubone and I was not as strong. He was not my Pokemon, after all.   
I turned aside, and threw my arms around Kameron, whose face was covered in tears. Not even his trenchcoat could protect him from this, whatever magic powers it might have. I kissed him on the lips, briefly.   
"I'll leave you here and see how the other's are doing, they're probably getting into trouble," I said. Kameron nodded.   
I had realised he needed to be alone, to say goodbye to his friend in privacy. I could not be with him for this, it was too personal.

The screams of Jessie and James reached my ears before I reached them. I came over the crest of a hill to find them, clinging to each other and cowering beneath a shape. Yeah, you guessed it, it was Alakazam again. Some evil will never die. He was not in good shape however, hanging grimly to his spoons, his clothing a charred wreck and his Pokeballs burst open at the seems.   
"I've had enough of you," I said, approaching him boldly. "You've caused enough grief to my friends and I, and now is the time to end it."   
"And how do you propose to do that?" He asked, his voice dripping with menace. But he looked ill and he sounded ill, probably Meowth could finish him off.   
"Nym, do your stuff!" I shouted.   
"Nym, nym!" The Nymph Pokemon shrieked happily.   
"With a bug, you must be kidding?" He waved his spoons. A ball of light appeared between them.   
"Teleport Nym!" I shouted, although I didn't need to. Nym knew how to fight all by himself.   
The ball of psychic energy sent dirt exploding every which way, sending the Synonymph sprawling backwards in the dirt. I couldn't believe it'd been hit.   
"Power ball!" I shouted. But Nym was not listening. Something was happening to it.   
It began to glow, and grew, and grew, until it was about as long as Alakazam was tall. No longer was it a Nymph, it now had a large head with fearsome jaws and its vestigial wings had grown into razor sharp weapons.   
"Drago SI!" It screeched, flapping into the air.   
Alakazam began to move his spoons in that hypnotic pattern and I knew what was about to happen. Suddenly the rays flashed out, preparing to mind sweep the newly evovled Dragosi.   
"SI!" It screeched again. A beam of light shot from its antennae and struck Alakazam's ball, causing it to reflect back and at the Alakazam itself.   
Already massively weakened, Alakzam fell to his knees, letting out the most blood-curdling scream. His spoons went flying and he grabbed at his head, as though trying to wrench the pain from it. It was a familiar feeling. Suddenly he sagged, the light vanished from his eyes, yet he still lived.   
"What was that?" Jessie stuttered.   
"Drago si?"   
"I think Dragosi just turned the attack back on Alakazam," I replied, "meaning that instead of scrambling the Dragonfly's brain, it scrambled its own."   
James was gaping and ran to the fallen Alakazam. "Is it really over?"   
"Yes," I replied, "its really over." I was so tired, I could sleep for a year. But finally, it was over, we had won.

We buried Cubone beneath a beautiful flowering tree. I think he would've liked it. Kameron said a few words in memorial to him, a poem, a poem so beautiful that it had even Jessie in tears.

THE END

So what happened next? Who become the new boss of Team Rocket? How did Alakazam get so strong? What in hades is Dragasi? Will the friendship between the Rockets and Kat continue? Why didn't Jessie and James get back their own Pokemon when they retrieved mine? Who really was that masked man? (OK, trick question). Well, these questions, and any others, will have to wait until I continue this saga, which won't be for a while yet. I have other tales to tell.

_Kataryna D. Lemusu_


End file.
